The new ethanol blend mandate from the Environmental Protection Agency last week is good for corn growers, not so good for livestock producers. The EPA’s 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard mandated a 1.2-billion-gallon increase in the amount of renewable fuels blended into the fuel supply next year to 19.28 billion, a 6% increase over current levels … Read More
Feedlots chew through cattle supplies
US Feedlots continued a strong marketing pace in October with sales to packers up 4.6% year over year, despite one less business day in the month, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist in a release. October placements followed the September pattern with another 5% reduction from October 2015, Peel pointed out. … Read More
Frozen Red Meat Supplies Mixed
Total red meat supplies in cold storage as of Oct. 31 were down 3% from Sep. 30 but up 1% from a year earlier, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s monthly Cold Storage report Tuesday. The monthly report said beef supplies in US freezers amounted to 532.326 million pounds, up 13.304 million, or … Read More
Southeast Feeder Cattle Sales Picking Up
Feeder cattle sales are beginning to pick up in the Southeast, even if producers would rather hold on to them a little longer. University of Tennessee Agricultural Economist Andrew Griffith said in his weekly comments that low prices in September and October had many producers hanging on to calves a little longer than normal. However, … Read More
Funds’ Net Long Live Cattle Positions Hit Two-Month High
During the week ended Tuesday, commodity investment funds, or managed money, increased its net long live cattle futures position to its highest level since the week ended Aug 23 when it was 40,932 contracts. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report, Friday said managed money’s net long live cattle position as of … Read More
Hog Slaughter Continues To Expand
Federally inspected hog slaughter continues to expand past last year’s highs and already has set a new record annual high. The new record was estimated at 2.532 million just two weeks ago. Preliminary USDA estimated slaughter numbers indicate a smaller number this week, even after falling away last week. The official slaughter peak of two … Read More
It’s Official: October Cattle Prices Were Lowerf
The USDA Wednesday confirmed what cattle producers around the country knew all along — October cattle prices were lower relative to September and last year. In its monthly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, the USDA’s Economic Research Service said, “Weekly average fed cattle prices declined during the month, averaging about $100 per cwt compared to … Read More