Rising grain output, rising US cattle populations, struggling foreign currencies and declining populations in major consuming countries point to lower fed cattle prices in coming years, and traders appear to be adjusting. Thursday, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s live cattle futures market close revealed that traders have serious misgivings about cattle prices down the road. The … Read More
Confusing Cattle Markets Ahead
Even though feeder cattle prices are softening as more calves come to the auction barns, it doesn’t mean prices will continue to soften. It just means the markets will be more confusing. Fall cattle marketings began to rise a couple of months ago, easing the market into the September/October gut slot of the fall weaning … Read More
Annual Meat Consumption Seen Higher
Annual US meat consumption is expected to rise this year in all major meat categories and then turn in a smaller increase next year through a combination of increased production and imports. Overall meat consumption was expected to rise 7.66 pounds, or 3.81%, to 208.63 pounds from 200.97 pounds. In 2016, total per-capita meat consumption … Read More
US Meat Exports Face Challenges
US red meat exports are facing challenges related to a strong US dollar and competition from abroad that threaten to reduce shipments in coming months. An overall increase in the value of the US dollar, weakening economies around the world and increased competition from other exporting countries make US meat exports more challenging. First-half red … Read More
Managed Money, Commercials Get Longer Cattle
Managed money and commercial traders bought live cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said Friday, a unusual event in that the two often work in different directions. As of Tuesday, managed money, or large speculative firms, had a net long position of 21,189 live cattle contracts, up 1,369, or … Read More
Cattle Feeding Returns Slip Further
Fed cattle prices faltered again this week, taking returns to cattle feeders further into the red. Other cattle owners have dug in their heels, refusing to accept lower bids from packer buyers. But since good times and bad come to feedlots all the time, it’s hard to visualize the plight of those who feed cattle … Read More
Pork Exporters Could Benefit From China Cull
US and other world pork exporters could see extra product demand as China culls nearly 100 million hogs and another 10 million sows over the last 18 months. For US cattle and beef producers, higher pork exports would remove some domestic competition. A new Rabobank report estimates that the Chinese culling is equivalent to wiping … Read More