Cattle feeding margins improved last week, but the nation’s feedlots continue to lose money, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker, which does not take into account the individual hedging operations of feeders. Despite rising nearly $25 a head last week as fed cattle prices rose, and feed costs declined, margins remained more than $32 … Read More

No trading has been reported in the Central and Southern Plains this week, but bids from packer buyers already are even with last week’s average of $161 per cwt on a live basis, hinting that even higher prices are possible. On a dressed basis, bids were reported Wednesday at about $261. Some traders report that … Read More

The USDA Tuesday raised its projections for 2015 meat production, boosting the estimated output of red meat and poultry output from its January estimate.  As a result, price projections for all meat classes declined. In its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the USDA upped its outlook for beef production by 390 million pounds, … Read More

World meat prices declined in January, as abundant pork supplies fostered competition for consumer spending, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. The FAO’s Meat Price Index averaged 194.3 points in January, down 3.2 points, or 1.6%, from its revised December value.  Falling currency rates against the US Dollar were partly responsible for … Read More

Managed money boosted its net live cattle short positions during the week ended Tuesday by 6,521 contracts, while raising its long position by only 373, leaving them with a net long position of 56,603, the lowest in more than a year. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments Of Traders report through the week ended … Read More

“Healthy” eating seems to be clashing with a continued taste for beef and budgets as paychecks refuse to grow and the unemployed become the under-employed. It looks like shoppers want a leaner beef product that has the versatility of ground beef but with less fat. Wholesale prices for beef cuts can be used to show … Read More

A growing number of cattle market analysts are projecting lower beef 2015 beef production along with lower average prices as price relationships return to more normal levels. The apparent contradiction was explained by Allendale Inc., Chief Analyst Rich Nelson at the company’s annual Livestock Outlook meeting who said the market may remain under pressure into … Read More