Hog Futures Decline on Concern U.S. Exports to Weaken; Cattle Futures Fall

(Bloomberg) -- Hog futures fell in Chicago for the
first time in three sessions as traders focused more on
decreasing U.S. pork exports to Mexico and Russia and less on the
prospect of rising Chinese demand. Cattle prices also fell.

Mexico, the second-largest buyer of U.S. pork behind Japan,
has imported 30 percent less than a year earlier, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture said last week. Exports to Russia, the
fifth-largest buyer, are 25 percent behind last year's pace, the
USDA said. The price of pork rose 7.1 percent in the past two
days on speculation demand from China would rise.


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Cattle Futures Drop to 6-Month Low as Supplies Increase; Hog Prices Fall

(Bloomberg) -- Cattle futures in Chicago fell to a
six-month low on expectations for greater supplies of
slaughter-ready animals. Hog prices also declined.

U.S. feedlots bought 2.159 million young animals for
fattening in May, up 13 percent from a year earlier, the
Department of Agriculture said June 22. Those animals will be
ready for processing in September. Cattle prices are up 3.9
percent from a year ago on tight supplies of fed animals.


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Hog Futures Rise to One-Month High on Corn Costs; Cattle Futures Advance

(Bloomberg) -- Hog futures in Chicago rose to the
highest in more than a month as climbing corn prices threatened
to trim the size of the hog herd. Cattle futures also rose.

Prices for corn, the main ingredient in hog feed, have
climbed three straight weeks and are up 50 percent in the past
year on demand for corn-based ethanol. It takes about 12 bushels
of corn, or 670 pounds (304 kilograms), to fatten a 40-pound
feeder pig to a slaughter weight of 250 pounds.


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Cattle Futures Fall Most in Four Months as Beef Demand Slows; Hogs Gain

(Bloomberg) -- Cattle futures fell to the lowest in
almost four months on speculation demand for beef declined after
the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. Hog futures rose.

About 258,000 head of cattle have been slaughtered so far
this week, compared with 378,000 last week and 260,000 during
the same period a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. That indicates less demand from retailers, said Dan
Vaught, an analyst at A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. in St. Louis.


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Cattle Price Rises as U.S. Herd Shrinks, Beef Demand Rises; Hogs Decline

(Bloomberg) -- Cattle futures in Chicago rose on
tight supplies of live cattle and strengthening beef demand. Hog
futures fell for the second-straight session.

The total U.S. cattle herd as of May 1 was 11.297 million,
down 2.3 percent from a year ago, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture said last week in a monthly report. In an indication
of beef demand, feedlot operators sold more animals to beef
packers last month, up 2 percent to 1.821 million. Analysts had
predicted so-called marketings would drop.


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Australian Cattle Prices Plunge the Most in Six Months on Drought Concern

(Bloomberg) -- Cattle prices in Australia, the world's second-largest beef exporter, had their biggest weekly plunge in six months as continuing drought depletes feed supplies, forcing farmers to sell livestock.

Australia's benchmark Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, which measures auction prices of young cattle sold at sale yards in the east of the country, fell 28 cents, or 8.6 percent this week, to close at A$2.96 ($2.47) a kilogram. That's the biggest weekly fall since a 9.1 percent plunge in the week ending Oct. 20.


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