Limiting the use of Alternative Marketing Agreements in the fed cattle industry could cost the cattle and beef industries $2.5 billion in the first year and $16 billion over the first 10 years, said a well-known university economist last week in a white paper on the subject. Stephen Koontz, agricultural economist at Colorado State University, … Read More

For the first time since October 2016, the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell below 100 after dropping 25 points in April. Issuing his breakdown of the monthly survey of farmer and rancher attitudes about their perception of the agriculture economy as it relates to their operations, Purdue Agricultural Economist James Mintert said April’s … Read More

Managed money, a proxy for large commodity investment firms, further expanded their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday, taking them to their largest long position in three months. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday showed that managed money’s new live cattle position was long … Read More

The USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report may not be much of a market mover, since many expected logistics problems in April, which cut retail supplies, had led to a drawdown in frozen stocks, a market analyst said. Frozen meat stocks might have been drawn down even more if trucking companies had not had their own … Read More

The Livestock Marketing Information Center has projected a sharp dip in US second-quarter commercial beef production with a surge in the third quarter. Upon reflection, that should be no surprise as the packing industry gets its employee illness issues resolved and works to catch up with the backlog of slaughter-ready cattle waiting in the feedlots. … Read More

Cattle producers have many challenges working through the disruptions from COVID-19, but it looks like the overall feed situation will provide more flexibility for feeder and feedlots, said Derrell Peel Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, in a letter to Extension agents called Cow/Calf Corner. However, emerging potential drought conditions are a threat and … Read More

Even with record-high wholesale beef prices, meat buyers in April continued to favor USDA prime-graded beef over branded, USDA choice, USDA select or ungraded product. Whether that means it pays to feed cattle to their full genetic grading potential or not is something individual cattle feeders will have to determine for themselves, a market analyst … Read More