Facing tight margins, many producers may be considering marketing alternatives like selling directly to consumers, said Courtney Bir, Oklahoma State University agricultural economist, in an Extension letter called Cow-Calf Corner. When selling directly to consumers, producers are marketing beef, not selling cattle, Bir said.  This adds complexities to the cow/calf or stocker operation.  Plus, the … Read More

Canada, Mexico and the US make up the bulk of the North American cattle industry and consists of 116.1 million head, with the US representing 75.1% (87.16 million head), Mexico with 15.4% (17.8 million head) and Canada with 9.5% (11.1 million head). Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, said in a letter … Read More

Canada’s cattle on feed numbers declined in May to end up on June 1 being below last year at the same time and below the 2018-2022 average and widening the difference between them. Placements of young cattle into feedlots also was down seasonally, continuing at a lower rate than May 2023 and the previous five-year … Read More

5-1-24 – Managed money, a proxy for large commodity index funds, enlarged their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday while cattle hedgers cut their total net short position. The information came from the weekly Commitments of Traders report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Friday.  It chronicles the relative … Read More

Live cattle futures continue to march higher, but the market could use some bullish fundamental news to keep the rally going. Ninety percent lean trimmings remain strong, and 50% lean beef isn’t doing badly, but other cuts are showing signs of lagging.   BOXED BEEF FIRM WITH CRACKS   The weekly choice boxed beef cutout … Read More

Total beef production through the first week of June was 10.6 billion pounds, down 2.0% from last year, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University agricultural economist in an Extension service letter called Cow-Calf Corner. That follows a 4.7% reduction in 2023 beef production from record 2022 levels, Peel said.  Cattle slaughter in the first 21 … Read More

Total red meat supplies in freezers on May 31 were down about 3% from the previous month and down about 5% from last year, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said in its monthly Cold Storage report Tuesday. Total frozen poultry supplies were up about 3% from the previous month but down about 5% from … Read More