US: Cattle and hog futures mixed on Tuesday

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were mixed waiting for direct cash business to develop. December live cattle closed $0.25 higher at $153.80 and February lives closed $.30 lower at $156.42. January feeder cattle closed $.95 lower at $181.67 and March feeder cattle closed $.52 cents lower at $184.57. It was another quiet day for direct cash cattle business. Prices will likely push higher again as supplies are expected to tighten. A few bids surfaced in the North at $242 to $245 dressed, however, the rest of cattle country was quiet. Asking prices in the South were at $154 to $155 live, with nothing coming out of the North. Significant trade volume will likely take place on Wednesday. At the Tri-State Livestock Auction in Nebraska, steers and heifers were $3 to $5 higher on comparable offerings. The USDA says demand was good throughout the day. Receipts were down slightly on the week and the year. Feeder supply included 50% steers and 23% of the ...