The total volume of red meat in US freezers as of June 30 was down about 2% from last month and down slightly from last year, while poultry supplies were up from a month earlier but down from a year earlier, according to the USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report Monday. The data from the USDA’s … Read More

The consensus among cattle market analysts after Friday’s monthly USDA Cattle on Feed report and the semi-annual Cattle (inventory) report was that there were no big surprises. The Cattle on Feed report revealed numbers that were so close to average pre-release estimates that traders who missed the mark either higher or lower will cancel each … Read More

The US corn market will continue to be volatile, with any weather news affecting prices, but understanding how changing corn price affects feeder cattle prices can aid in management and marketing decisions. That came from Brenda Boetel, agricultural economist at the University of Wisconsin, in a letter to Extension agents from the Livestock Marketing Information … Read More

Canada’a feedlots continue to hold more cattle than last year or the 2013-2017 average, while the number of cattle placed on feed remains very close to both, says data from Canfax, a private market advisory service. The data only includes feedlots located in the prime feeding provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and is published by … Read More

Cash cattle and beef markets are in the throes of the summer doldrums, leaving the markets looking for direction. Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economist Derrell Peel, said in a letter to Extension Agents called Cow/Calf Corner, that there were plenty of things to influence the cattle and beef markets currently. Peel said late last week … Read More

Drovers is running a series of articles by agricultural economist and industry consultant Nevil Speer explaining how futures work.  With permission by Drovers, these articles will be edited for space and republished here from time to time over the next several weeks.   STRAIGHT HEDGE EXAMPLE   Some market commentary in early May proclaimed cattle … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, ended a 10-week slide in their collective net long holdings in live cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday. However, it’s not clear whether this will be the extent of their long liquidation as cattle futures prices have made a decisive turn upward, an analyst said. Managed … Read More