Hog Inventories Lower: Near Expectations

The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 was 75.7 million head, about in line with trade expectations. A market analyst said after the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report Thursday that while the report may not cause near-term convulsions in the market, the presence of fewer hogs in the country should be … Read More

Global Beef Trade Growing

Global beef trade continues to grow, with total beef imports by major world importers expected to increase in 2021 along with increases in total beef exports by major world exporters, said Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel, in a letter to Extension agents called Cow-Calf Corner. U.S. beef exports and imports take … Read More

Frozen Red Meat Stocks Down

Total red meat supplies in US freezers on May 31 were down about 4% from the previous month and down about 3% from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s monthly Cold Storage report Tuesday. Total frozen poultry supplies were up about 3% from April 30 but down about 12% from a … Read More

Funds Boost Long Cattle Positions

Large commodity investment firms, called managed money, boosted their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended last Tuesday, June 15. At the same time, hedgers increased their collective net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Monday.  The report was delayed from … Read More

Canada Feedlot Population Follows Trend

Canada’s cattle-on-feed numbers on June 1 were following the seasonal trend but at a higher level like they did last year, according to data from CanFax that was compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver. CanFax, a private market advisory firm, collects data from member feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan and releases the … Read More

China Hog Prices Fall Amid Overproduction Fears

The Illinois Farm Policy News this week pulled together some news stories that said China’s hog futures had fallen amid increased slaughter rates as the country recovers from its African Swine Fever outbreak. “Financial Times writers Hudson Lockett and Thomas Hale reported this week that, ‘Hog futures in China have fallen to record lows as … Read More

Cattle Market Volatility Likely Entrenched For Now

It is unlikely the current cattle market volatility will dissipate any time soon, said Colorado State University Agricultural Economist Stephen Koontz, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter to Extension agents called In The Cattle Markets. Fed cattle, feeder cattle and calf prices have displayed substantial volatility since April, Koontz said, and there is much … Read More