# LIVESTOCK-Bird-flu testing of US ground beef sinks CME cattle futures | MarketScreener

> CME cattle futures fell on May 1, 2024 after reports that USDA was testing retail ground beef for H5N1 bird flu, which investors feared would hurt consumer demand. June live cattle closed about 1.1 cents lower and August feeders fell 3.75 cents, both to multi-week lows. Lean hogs and boxed beef also declined.

- Date: 2024-05-01 · published 2024-05-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/5411-livestock-bird-flu-testing-of-us-ground-beef-sinks-cme-cattle-futures
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md)

## Why it matters

Fear of H5N1 contamination in beef can cut retail and wholesale demand and pull futures lower even without confirmed positives. Feeder and live cattle prices fall with it, which affects feed buyers' cattle-feeding margins.

## Read by commodity

- HOGS: bearish ▼
- FCATTLE: bearish ▼
- LCATTLE: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2024-05-01 | 1 | -3.1% | -6.5 | On May 1, reports that USDA was testing retail ground beef for H5N1 sparked fears of weaker consumer demand, sending June live cattle to multi-week lows, which matches the timing and direction of the move. |
| LCATTLE | 2024-04-30 | 1 | -3.1% | -7.6 | USDA ground beef H5N1 testing news hit cattle futures on May 1, a day after the move, but it reflects the same demand-fear sentiment already weighing on the market. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2018-10-29 | [Livestock Lowdown: Monday Midday Livestock Market Summary - Cattle Futures Giving Back Gains](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10112-livestock-lowdown-monday-midday-livestock-market-summary-cattle-futures-giving.md) | +3.1% | +3.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-04-30 | [US live cattle, feeder cattle futures end lower - CME
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5417-us-live-cattle-feeder-cattle-futures-end-lower-cme-the-cattle-site.md) | -1.9% | +1.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-08-08 | [U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall hard, hogs mixed - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12276-u-s-livestock-cattle-futures-fall-hard-hogs-mixed-grainews.md) | -1.4% | -0.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-08-26 | [Cattle futures drop on screwworm fears and profit-taking - CME
						 \| The Beef Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23462-cattle-futures-drop-on-screwworm-fears-and-profit-taking-cme-the-beef-site.md) | +0.2% | -2.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-09-05 | [Kay’s Cuts: Abattoir fire strikes at heart of US cattle market - Beef Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6591-kay-s-cuts-abattoir-fire-strikes-at-heart-of-us-cattle-market-beef-central.md) | -2.1% | +3.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-04-30 | [US live cattle, feeder cattle futures end lower - CME
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5417-us-live-cattle-feeder-cattle-futures-end-lower-cme-the-cattle-site.md) | -2.7% | +6.7% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-08-08 | [U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall hard, hogs mixed - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12276-u-s-livestock-cattle-futures-fall-hard-hogs-mixed-grainews.md) | -2.4% | +3.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-08-26 | [Cattle futures drop on screwworm fears and profit-taking - CME
						 \| The Beef Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23462-cattle-futures-drop-on-screwworm-fears-and-profit-taking-cme-the-beef-site.md) | +0.9% | +1.1% |

## Sources

- marketscreener.com: https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/LIVESTOCK-Bird-flu-testing-of-US-ground-beef-sinks-CME-cattle-futures-46597360/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.