There are numerous unique factors that make the beef cattle industry complex, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, in a letter called Cow-Calf Corner. THE TRADE-OFF Two biological facts are critical: cows have one calf at a time in a rather slow biological process; and two, heifers can be … Read More
Frozen Red Meat Supplies Rise; Poultry Stocks Mixed
5-28-24 – Total red meat supplies in freezers on April 30 were up about 4% from the previous month but down about 9% from last year, the USDA said Friday in its monthly Cold Storage report. Total frozen poultry supplies were up about 3% from the previous month but down about 5% from a year … Read More
Beef Cutout Jump May Not Be Significant Move
Choice beef cutout prices jumped last week in what could be the beginning of an annual price spike, but something isn’t normal. The Livestock Marketing Information Center graphed the weekly USDA-reported boxed beef prices. The 2018-2022 weekly average choice cutout price graph shows a definite price peak last week at $299.07 per cwt. This compares … Read More
Pork Cutout Slips, Still Above Year Ago
The pork cutout value slipped below $100 per cwt for the last few weeks but remains about $17 to $19 per cwt more than where prices were last year, said the Livestock Marketing Information Center in its Livestock Monitor. MID-APRIL PEAK In mid-April, the pork cutout value peaked at just over $100 for … Read More
Consumers Still Have Debt Margin
While consumer debt is high, consumers still have room to run, explaining some of the confusion about why buying of some things, like choice beef, continues, according to an economic bulletin from the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Although the share of credit card debt transitioning into delinquency has risen, it remains below levels seen … Read More
Canada Cattle On Feed Decline Seasonally
Canada’s May 1 cattle on feed numbers continued a seasonal decline but fell further below the 2018-2022 average as April placements dipped to a point between year-ago and the previous five-year average. For comparison, the May US Cattle on Feed report showed the April 1 population in feedlots of 1,000 head or more one-time capacity … Read More
Funds Boost Net Long Cattle Position
For the second straight week, managed money, a proxy for large commodity index funds, increased their collective net long live cattle futures position as hedgers reduced their total net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday, which chronicle’s trader groups’ holdings as of Tuesday. … Read More