The percentage of steer and heifer carcasses grading prime so far during 2020 has outpaced normal levels, said Josh Maples, Extension economist at Mississippi State University, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter to Extension agents called In The Cattle Markets. The average percent prime for the first seven months of 2020 was 10.6%, the … Read More

With less meat in cold storage than a year ago and fed cattle weighing more than a year ago, Tuesday’s monthly USDA Cold Storage report may be considered neutral to friendly to cattle futures on Wednesday, a market analyst said. At first glance, the report might be considered bearish to cattle markets with frozen supplies … Read More

Data collected to supplement the Federal Reserve Board’s seventh annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking showed that US families were faring better financially in July than in April, but many still faced uncertainty regarding layoffs and prospects for returning to work.   THE SURVEYS   The first of two surveys to monitor changes in … Read More

Large commodity investment firms, called managed money, continued a trend of buying live cattle futures during the week ended Tuesday, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report on Friday. Managed money’s collective net long position on Tuesday totaled 57,888 contracts, up 1,121, or 1.97%, from 56,767 the previous … Read More

January-July US meat and dairy imports were mixed compared with the same period last year, according to the USDA Economic Research Service’s monthly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook Thursday. Imports of beef, lamb and mutton, and dairy increased, while pork imports declined, the Outlook report said.   BEEF IMPORTS UP   January-July beef imports increased … Read More

Unhedged cattle feeders logged an average calculated profit last week of $5.64 per head, despite a decline in fed cattle prices, as the initial cost of the cattle sold for slaughter declined, the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker showed. The Beef Profit Tracker was reported on the Farm Journal’s AgWeb page.   FEEDER MARGINS IN THE … Read More

The choice/select beef price spread remains historically wide, even if it is below last year and obscured by a total boxed-beef cutout value that is declining seasonally. The number of reasons for the unusually wide spread in the middle of a pandemic, with buyer interest focused on the more-expensive choice and prime beef, are legion.  … Read More