Large investment firms, called managed money, are closing in on a zero net live cattle futures position with their tenth straight week of long liquidation, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC’s weekly Commitments of Traders report said managed money’s new net long live cattle position was 11,431 contracts, down 3,956, or 25.7%, … Read More

With implications for US hard red winter wheat production and pastures in the Southern Plains and the Southwest, the worst drought conditions expanded in the latest week, the US Drought Monitor showed Thursday. Storm systems during the week ended Tuesday steered north of drought-stricken areas of the Southwest that saw further deterioration in drought conditions, … Read More

It should be a good year to be in the cattle business if the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker is accurate in its predictions. The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker comes from Sterling Marketing of Vale, Ore., and is published by “AgWeb.” For 2018, the Beef Profit Tracker estimated feedlot margins at a positive $51.00 per head, … Read More

First-quarter US meat production was up more than 2% than a year earlier, and continuing increases are likely to pressure fed cattle prices, said Purdue University Agricultural Economist James Mintert in “farmdocdaily.” The increase in meat production took place virtually across the board as all major meat production sectors, except turkey, posted year-over-year increases, Mintert … Read More

The early Spring rally appears to be giving cattle feeders a second act, said Texas A&M agricultural economist David Anderson in a letter to Extension Agents. After touching $130 per cwt on a live basis in February, the fed cattle market dropped dramatically into the $110s, Anderson said.  However, the market rebounded to $124 to … Read More

Managed money, or large commodity investment funds, as if Tuesday were nearing zero with their net long live cattle position after nine straight weeks of liquidation, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday. The report said managed money’s net long live cattle futures position was 15,387 contracts, down 7,269, … Read More

The winter drought may be finishing off the latest US cattle herd expansion as the daily average cow slaughter floats well above last year and the 2012-2016 average. Already slowing down, US cattle producers appear to be weeding out their older cows more aggressively.  The Federally Inspected daily average cow slaughter on a monthly basis … Read More