By Kelsey Gee 

CHICAGO--U.S. cattle futures ended the session mixed on Monday, buoyed by short-covering in the thinly-traded August contract, with just days before expiration.

August live-cattle rose 0.4 cent, or 0.4%, to $1.1075 a pound, after tumbling 2.8% to the lowest settlement in a month on Friday. Most-active October cattle declined 1.275 cents to $1.05075 a pound. September feeder-cattle futures fell 0.775 cent to $1.3915 a pound.

Retailers and U.S. meatpackers have lowered their bids for available meat and livestock supplies in recent weeks, in anticipation of an uptick in production later this summer and fall. This has spurred deflation of many food commodities at the grocery store and on some restaurant menus, which has been a boon for consumers.

The U.S. is on track this year to post the longest stretch of falling food prices in more than 50 years, a streak that has at the same time put a financial strain on farmers, grocery stores and restaurants.

Feedyard operators last week fetched from $1.14 to $1.15 for most of their available cattle, reflecting a three cent drop from the previous sales, as traders braced for the uptick in cattle numbers ahead.

The hog market also ended the session mixed, as market participants search for clearer signs of demand for pork products at discounted price levels.

October futures rose 0.05 cent, or 0.1%, to 61.375 cents a pound, after a 1% decline last week. December hog futures shed 0.3 cent to 56.325 cents a pound.

-Write to Kelsey Gee at kelsey.gee@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 29, 2016 15:13 ET (19:13 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.