As cattle feeders struggle to maintain some semblance of profitability and cow/calf producers continue to build their cow herds, competing meat availability remains a constant concern. In both cases, export markets are key to lively markets and the reduction in the availability of competing meats in the US.  Disease remains an issue with pork and … Read More

The value of the often overlooked byproducts of beef and pork slaughter is rising seasonally, but this return on investment to beef packers is about to reach a seasonal leveling point. “Byproduct,” “drop value,” “drop credit” and “offal” all refer to the same products and represent an important revenue source for packers.  Aggregate values for … Read More

It looks like market fundamentals have little to do with feeder cattle futures price movements, making it necessary for cow/calf producers to be more savvy about marketing their calves, said a university agricultural economist in a weekly comment. Andrew Griffith, extension agricultural economist at the University of Tennessee, added, “The futures market is supposed to … Read More

Cattle prices currently are a function of packer margins, which the Livestock Marketing Information Center calculates to be some of the widest in some time. Last year at this time, packers were losing money, which is typical for the season, said LMIC director and senior agricultural economist Jim Robb.  This year, they appear to be … Read More

Managed money, a proxy for large commodity funds, increased their net long live cattle futures position only slightly during the week ended Tuesday, rising only 206,000 contracts, or 0.82%, to 25,311 from 25,105. The news was part of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments Of Traders report Friday.  The CFTC also said that commercial … Read More

Today’s USDA Cattle-On-Feed report is expected to show an increase in the number of cattle placed into US feedlots in March, a move that will add weight to market prices over the coming weeks and months. Pre-report estimates indicated expectations for placements to be up 6% to 7% on average with the range of estimates … Read More

The potential for a dry summer in the Plains has many cow/calf producers examining their herds, looking for a possible cull candidate or two. Key to dealing with weather issues is good planning, and that means getting ready for modified stocking rates and good cattle sorting, writes Kris Ringwall, beef specialist at North Dakota State … Read More