Cash cattle prices in the Plains have fallen in each of the last four weeks, and it’s easy to see why when the basis with the Jun futures delivery month is considered. Using the average basis, or the difference between cash prices and futures prices, from Kansas as a proxy for the whole market, one … Read More

It looks like fed cattle prices have passed their annual peak, a condition that appears to be in the futures market as prices for delivery months through October are progressively lower. Weekly average fed steer prices in the Southern Plains topped out at $128.00 per cwt the last week of February and nearly tied it … Read More

Large commodity investment firms, known as managed money, divested themselves of more live cattle futures positions in the week ended Tuesday, adding selling pressure to an already weak futures market. Data revealing the decline in the collective net long positions of managed money came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report … Read More

Over the last month, steer and heifer slaughter has been ramping up, a seasonal occurrence that could hit an annual high by the end of the month. Data from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service show that weekly steer slaughter began to rise the third week of March, right on … Read More

The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2019 Stakeholders Summit kicked off Wednesday with record attendance, bringing 335 food and agriculture stakeholders to Kansas City, Mo., said an AAA release. The event, themed “A Seat At The Table,” started with consumer focus groups. Six consumers were asked about their meat purchasing habits, including how much price, taste, appearance, … Read More

Purdue University’s monthly Ag Economy Barometer, which records farmer sentiments on a variety of economic issues related to farming, plunged 18 points last month. The Ag Economy Barometer plummeted to a reading of 115 in April, an 18-point decline from March’s 133, according to a summary of the survey by Purdue University Agricultural Economist Jim … Read More

Wintry weather played havoc with cattle growth and fattening rates in the Plains, and nowhere was this more apparent than in Kansas, according to data collected from feedlots by the Kansas State University Extension Service. The data was then given to the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver for processing and evaluation.  The data collected … Read More