Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, extended their collective net long live cattle position in the week ended Tuesday to its largest in 4 ½ months, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC said in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday that managed money’s new live cattle position … Read More
Puts Or LRP, Which Is Better?
July 1 changes in the USDA’s Livestock Risk Protection insurance plan renewed a debate about which is better, with some saying the increased subsidies and payment changes make LRP the better choice and others saying it is only insurance and nothing more. LRP and put options are designed to protect livestock values from downside risk. … Read More
Federal Reserve: Nebraska Economy Shocked
Nebraska’s economy has been shocked in ways bearing little resemblance to anything experienced in modern times, said the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in a release from the Omaha Branch. As COVID-19 began to spread across the globe from January to March, leading to widespread economic shutdowns, business activity collapsed and a massive number … Read More
Farmer Sentiment Improves
Farmer sentiment about the economy and the future improved in June for the second straight month, continuing a rebound from sharp declines in March and April, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Purdue Agricultural Economist James Mintert, commented on the results in a release and said the overall index was up 14 … Read More
May Beef, Pork Exports Decline
US beef and pork exports trended lower in May, partly because of interruptions in slaughter and processing, according to data released by the USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. “As protective measures related to COVID-19 were being implemented, plant disruptions peaked in early May with a corresponding temporary slowdown in exports,” said … Read More
Kansas Feedlot Sales Go Up In May
The number of slaughter-ready cattle sold to beef packers by Kansas feedlots in May rebounded from April’s low eclipsing the 2014-2018 average and approximating the May-2019 total. The data came from a monthly survey of select Kansas feedlots by the Kansas State University Extension Service. This data is extrapolated by the Livestock Marketing Information Center … Read More
July 4 Beef Supplies Should Be Adequate: Economist
There should be adequate supplies of beef around for the Independence Day holiday this Saturday, an agricultural economist said. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University agricultural economist, said in a letter to Extension Agents called Cow/Calf Corner, said in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday, estimated beef production for the week ending June 27 was 562.3 … Read More