Is it time to change carcass cutout comparisons to prime/choice from choice/select, or possibly a high choice/low choice? There certainly is more variation in a USDA prime/choice cutout comparison than in the traditional choice/select cutout spread.  And, since the US cattle industry currently produces more choice and prime grade cattle carcasses than select or ungraded, … Read More

Since New World Screwworm closed the US off to Mexican cattle, questions about if and how the Mexican industry could handle the million-plus head that typically were exported to the US. Oklahoma State University Livestock Marketing Specialist, Derrell Peel said in a letter called Cow-Calf Corner that the Mexican beef industry had evolved significantly in … Read More

Cash prices for 700- to 800-pound medium and large No. 1 feeder steers in the Southern Plains are rangebound, according to data from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver.  And, they may remain rangebound. Caught between $350 and $400 per cwt, the price for those … Read More

Farm loan growth continued to be concentrated among agricultural banks during the first quarter of 2026 and production loans declined notably at some of the largest lenders, according to a report from the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank by Economist Ty Kreitman.   FARM DEBT GROWING   According to commercial bank Reports of Condition and … Read More

Livestock and poultry producers may be able to work out more positive margins this summer with US corn stocks up from last year, even though planted acres are down. The USDA’s acreage report Tuesday showed US corn stocks on June 1 at 5.295 billion bushels, up about 14% from last year.  Acres planted to corn … Read More

The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 was about 73.7 million head, said the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report Friday. That was down slightly from June 1, 2025, and down slightly from March 1, 2026.   TOTAL INVENTORY DOWN   The USDA said the … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, expanded their collective net long live cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday as cash cattle traders increased their total net short positions. The data came from the weekly Commitments of Traders report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Friday.   FUNDS BOOST LONG POSITION   Tuesday, … Read More