Hog futures climb on contract highs on US disease worries - CME
Screwworm fears knock cattle futures into holiday selloff
19 January 2026
1 minute read
By: Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) fell on Friday as fears the New World screwworm parasite might cross the border from Mexico into the US cattle herd pressured the market, spurring profit-taking and long liquidation ahead of a three-day holiday weekend, Reuters reported, citing traders.
CME February live cattle futures settled down 3.900 cents at 232.150 cents per pound after notching a two-week low at 229.250 cents. April live cattle futures ended down 4.450 cents at 233.975 cents, retreating from a two-month high set on Tuesday.
March feeder cattle futures tumbled 8.100 cents to finish at 356.450 cents per pound.
US imports of Mexican cattle have been suspended since May due to the spread of screwworm south of the border. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told RFD-TV he expected the pest to reach the United States.
"It's going to be across the border. I hate to say it, but it’s inevitable," Miller said in an interview released on Friday. The comments appeared to pressure cattle futures.
"That verbiage made the funds holding big long positions in cattle futures quite nervous ahead of a three-day weekend, leading to a sharp selloff," StoneX chief commodities economist Arlan Suderman said in a client note.
Managed commodity funds hold sizeable net long positions in CME live cattle and feeder cattle futures, weekly data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed, leaving the markets vulnerable to bouts of long liquidation.
Hog futures shook off the declines in cattle and rose for a fourth straight session, with several months notching life-of-contract highs. Analysts this week cited diseases circulating in US hog operations that threaten to curb pork production.
The USDA priced pork carcasses on Friday at $93.63 per hundredweight, up 3 cents from Thursday.
US markets and most government offices will be closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.
