April exports of US beef and pork were lower than a year ago, according to data released by the USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. “US beef is holding its own in Japan, but the April numbers are telling,” cautioned USMEF President Dan Halstrom in a USMEF release.  “With the April 1 … Read More

The USDA’s forecast for 2019 red meat and poultry production was reduced 61 million pounds, or 0.06%, to 104.167 billion pounds from 104.228 billion last month as lower forecasts for beef, pork and turkey production more than offset higher broiler production expectations. The new forecasts were in Tuesday’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates … Read More

The latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service data is out, and the results continue to be supportive to corn futures with only 83% of the US corn crop planted, well behind the 99% average. Some key states were notably behind.  Ohio was only 50% done, Indiana was 67% planted, and Illinois was 73% sown. The … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, reached their lowest collective net long live cattle futures position in nearly a year Tuesday as they continued to liquidate long positions. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Friday said in its weekly Commitments of Traders report that managed money’s new net long live cattle position totaled 45,373 … Read More

After a counter-seasonal drop in March, the number of cattle feedlots sold to packers rebounded in April, according to data collected by the Kansas State University Extension Service and compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. The K-State Extension Service canvases a select group of feedlots around the state, and the LMIC then extrapolates the … Read More

Cattle feeding margins are headed lower as packer margins are working higher, and market analysts are blaming the rising cost of corn for squeezing feedlot costs. Drovers reported that the Sterling Profit Tracker estimated that cash fed cattle prices held near steady at about $115.40 per cwt last week, but average cattle feeding margins dipped … Read More

For the second straight month, agricultural producer sentiment experienced a big decline as the Purdue University Ag Economy Barometer fell 14 points in May to a reading of 101. Purdue University Agricultural Economists James Mintert and Michael Langemeier said in a report to the CME Group that the sentiment decline again was the lowest since … Read More