Insights and Stories on Beef Cattle

May. 25, 2015 at 12:41 am CDT

U.S. wholesale beef prices surged higher this past week as stronger retail and restaurant demand absorbed the larger beef stocks in storage. Alberta packers’ average purchase price was $202.50 and with pen break-even closeout prices near $188, the healthy margin structure renewed buying confidence in the feeder market. All weight […]

By Jerry Klassen

May. 22, 2015 at 4:07 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed moderately lower Friday on profit-taking and in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report earlier in the day, traders said. The number of cattle put into U.S. feedlots in April unexpectedly slowed compared with the […]

By Theopolis Waters

May. 21, 2015 at 4:23 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Thursday on short-covering and futures’ discounts to cash prices, traders said. June closed up 1.025 cents per pound, to 152.375 cents, and August was 1.175 cents higher at 150.9 cents (all figures US$). This week, the bulk of […]

By Theopolis Waters

May. 21, 2015 at 12:13 am CDT

Sao Paulo | Reuters — The world’s largest meatpacker JBS SA laid off 650 workers and closed a plant in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state due to the lack of cattle ready for slaughter, a state labour official and the company said on Wednesday. JBS CEO Wesley Batista said last week […]

By Reuters

May. 20, 2015 at 6:31 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters –– Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange finished lower during the regular session on Wednesday, pressured by cash cattle prices that were initially weak, traders said. But contracts turned higher in after-hours (electronic) trading as cash prices improved, they said. Pit-traded June live cattle closed […]

By Theopolis Waters