Large commodity index firms, better known as managed money, unloaded live cattle futures contracts in a big way the last two weeks as hedgers covered their own short positions, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trade Commission Friday. The data came from the CFTC’s Commitments of Traders report Friday, which had been interrupted for … Read More

Feb. 28 total red meat supplies in freezers were down about 3% from the previous month but up about 2% from last year, according to the USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report Thursday. Total frozen poultry supplies on Feb. 28, were up about 3% from the previous month and up about 10% from a year ago, … Read More

Cattle markets are approaching the end of the first quarter of 2023 on a very strong note, said Stephen Koontz, agricultural economist at Colorado State University, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets.   ROBUST PRICES   Animal prices across the board have been very robust, Koontz said.  Fed cattle … Read More

Southern Plains feeder and stocker steer prices are higher than might be expected for this time of year, and they may be influencing herd rebuilding decisions. Every producer is different, though, a market analyst said.  Conditions and costs will vary, as will the cost of money, which is going up. With the end of La … Read More

The boxed beef market has had its fair share of trials and tribulations over the last couple of years, and this year looks to be no different, said Urner Barry’s Market Briefing. One area of highlight thus far is some of the premium spreads—or lack thereof, in some cases, the report said.  This is showcased … Read More

Farm real estate values increased considerably in 2022 but softened in the final months of 2022 as interest rates rose sharply, said Economists Cortney Cowley and Ty Kreitman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in a release. Farm loan interest rates jumped to decade highs alongside increases in the federal funds rate, Cowley … Read More

If inflation really is hurting consumers, beef markets don’t seem to show it. Wholesale prices are holding strong at higher levels than the 2017-2021 average, although many cuts are running at levels that are lower than a year ago at the same time.   PRODUCTION IS AN ISSUE   In US meat markets, production often … Read More