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

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, made a small gain in their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended last Tuesday as hedgers trimmed their net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday. Managed money’s new net long cattle … Read More

The USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report Friday lowered its forecast 2020 total red meat and poultry production from last month as lower pork and broiler production more than offsets higher beef and turkey production. For 2021, the total red meat and poultry forecast was reduced from the August report on lower … Read More

The Livestock Marketing Information Center said in a letter to Extension agents called the Livestock Monitor, that economists there expect a general year-over-year increase in cull cow prices for the balance of this year and throughout next year. Expected increases in calf prices imply less pressure to cull cows across the country as a whole, … Read More

After an unseasonal drop in June, Kansas feedlot sales of fed cattle to beef packers showed an unseasonal increase in July, according to Kansas State University Extension Service data that was compiled and published by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver. The data is gathered from a select, representative group of Kansas feed yards … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, called managed money, cut their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday, Sep. 1, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Friday. The data came from the CFTC’s weekly Commitments of Traders report and said managed money’s new net long cattle position Sep. 1 … Read More

July US beef and pork exports rose in July but remain below year-ago levels, according to data released by the USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation in Denver. “It is important to remember that the monthly export data is in the rear-view mirror and that weekly export sales data, along with observations … Read More