January-July US meat and dairy imports were mixed compared with the same period last year, according to the USDA Economic Research Service’s monthly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook Thursday. Imports of beef, lamb and mutton, and dairy increased, while pork imports declined, the Outlook report said.   BEEF IMPORTS UP   January-July beef imports increased … Read More

Unhedged cattle feeders logged an average calculated profit last week of $5.64 per head, despite a decline in fed cattle prices, as the initial cost of the cattle sold for slaughter declined, the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker showed. The Beef Profit Tracker was reported on the Farm Journal’s AgWeb page.   FEEDER MARGINS IN THE … Read More

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