Fundamentally led live cattle futures traders probably are focused on total meat supplies and not just beef or even cattle numbers, said a well-known market analyst Wednesday. John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing Inc., said live cattle futures prices continue to fall, and have reached a point that many consider to be oversold. Within the … Read More
Beef Prices Continue 2015 Drop, Pressure Cattle Outlook
The outlook for fed cattle prices is not good. Wholesale beef prices continue working lower and dipping below multi-year averages as they follow last year’s trend but at a lower level. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s price for choice boxed beef last week was $195.67 per cwt, below the 2010-2014 average of $196.21 by $0.54, … Read More
Funds Cut Cattle Positions For Third Straight Week
During the week ended Tuesday, Aug. 30, large commodity funds cut their net long live cattle futures position for the third straight week as prices continued to tumble. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments Of Traders report Friday listed the net long live cattle position of those funds, also known as managed money, at … Read More
Is Cattle Herd Growth Rate Declining?
The US cattle herd continues to expand, but the rate of growth may be slowing as average returns to cow/calf producers decline. USDA data compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center show that returns to producers spiked in 2014 to a record high of $530.22 per cow but dropped to $303.08 by 2015, which was … Read More
Kansas Feedlot Efficiency Dips In July
Kansas feedlots became less efficient in July as summer heat robbed cattle of their ability to convert feed into beef and bone, according to extrapolated data collected by Kansas State University. Each month, the KSU Extension service collects closeout data from volunteer feedlots in the state and infers a statewide data set from which the … Read More
July Retail Meat Prices Lower As Supplies Climb
Grocery store meat prices moved lower in July, generally reflecting larger production this year, said the Livestock Marketing Information Center citing data from the US Department of Labor, Consumer Price Report and USDA data. Fresh beef prices in July were down 6% from a year ago, chicken prices were down 3%, and pork prices were … Read More
Funds Trim Long Live Cattle Positions
Managed money, or large investment funds, trimmed their net long live cattle position for the second straight week during the week ended Tuesday, while producers and other commercial traders extended their net short positions. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Friday said that for the week ended Tuesday, managed money’s net long live cattle position was … Read More