The different patterns of boxed beef, fed and feeder cattle prices in the past six weeks illustrates the fact that these markets operate with very distinct dynamics, said Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economist Derrell Peel, in a letter to Extension Agents called Cow/Calf Corner. Those dynamics became very apparent as the distinction between the current … Read More
US Economy Suffers Blunt-Force Trauma
The Covid-19 Coronavirus dominates the news, prompting state and local governments to shut down commerce and ordering residents to shelter in place. The US economy has been hit with blunt-force trauma, from which it may take years to recover fully. Protein markets were hit with a demand surge that emptied the meat cases of local … Read More
Cattle, Corn Futures Traders Sidelining
Live cattle futures trading took on a more bearish tone during the week ended Tuesday as large commodity investment firms, known as managed money, and commercial traders, those who own the cattle, took on larger net short positions. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday. That data … Read More
US Hog Report Bearish As Numbers Rise
Thursday’s USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report is being interpreted bearishly by many market analysts, so lean hog futures prices could trade lower today. The report showed more hogs in the US herd than a pre-release market survey of analysts had expected. All weight categories and the December-February pig crop exceeded expectations. Christopher Lehner, market … Read More
Packers See Windfall From Beef Restocking
Beef packers received a windfall as beef prices surged over the last two weeks, so Tyson Foods announced Friday that it would add $5 per cwt to the negotiated live-basis price of fed cattle and $7.94 to the dressed-basis price this week. And, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker published by Drovers, Tyson and … Read More
Corn Costs Decline For Cattle Feeder
With gasoline consumption dropping off as people observe stay-at-home orders from various states, and others stay home because they’ve been laid off, are sick or for other health-related reasons, it’s gotten cheaper to feed corn to cattle. Weekly cash corn prices in Omaha dropped over the last two weeks as buying interest from various points … Read More
Frozen Red Meat Supplies Rise; Poultry Mixed
Total red meat supplies in freezers on Feb. 29 were up 3% from the previous month and up 5% from last year, according to monthly Cold Storage report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Monday. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 1% from the previous month and up 4% from last year. … Read More