Hogs steady
After the year-end holidays, packers were starting to buy for the first full slaughter schedule in two weeks.
There was ample supply for the demand so there was no incentive for packers to increase bids.
Supermarkets are buying pork sparingly until they can clear product left unsold over the holiday, Reuters reported.
Iowa-southern Minnesota hogs delivered were US$56.50-$57 per hundredweight Jan. 2, up slightly from $56-$56.50 Dec. 26.
U.S. hogs averaged $74.72 on a carcass basis Jan. 2, down from $74.80 Dec. 26. The U.S. pork cutout dropped to $83.32 per cwt. Jan. 2, down from $87.65 Dec. 26.
The estimated U.S. weekly slaughter for the week to Jan. 3 was 1.998 million, up from 1.738 million the previous week. Slaughter was 1.992 million last year at the same time.
Bison
There was no report from the Canadian Bison Association.
Sheep rise
Ontario Stockyards Inc. reported that 511 sheep and lambs and 10 goats traded Dec. 29.
All sheep, lambs and goats sold higher because of the light run.
