Fueled by another outstanding performance from Mexico, August exports of US pork increased year over year, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. US beef exports were less than year-ago levels in August, and pork exports, while up from last year, recorded the second lowest monthly total for … Read More

Farm operating debt at commercial banks continued to increase at a rapid pace through mid-year, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. According to quarterly bank reports, outstanding non-real estate farm debt at commercial banks grew about 10% from a year ago during the second quarter, said Economists Nate Kauffman … Read More

Cow/calf producers typically focus most of their marketing efforts on calves, but there are opportunities for profitable sales of the older members of the herd, said Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle breeding specialist, in a letter called Cow-Calf Corner. Little marketing effort is put into cull cows and bulls, Johnson said.  While … Read More

Large commodity investment index firms, known as managed money, continued buying live cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday as hedgers continued to sell short. The information was gleaned from the weekly Commitments of Trader report Friday from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.   FUNDS BUY CCATTLE   Tuesday, managed money had a collective net … Read More

West Coast ports are handling more cargo than normal, picking up some of the slack from the Longshoremen’s strike at East Coast and Gulf ports, according to various news services. Plus, many importers and exporters made the switch in the weeks and months leading up to this week’s strike.  The end result is that product … Read More

The US beef cow herd inventory was pressured the last few years because historically low prices and drought conditions incentivized producers to sell, said Rob Ziegler, Extension specialist at the University of Wyoming, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets. Droughts in 2011-2014 and in 2021-2023, coincided with the contraction … Read More

The East Coast and Gulf dockworkers strike has the potential to do great harm to the US economy. Inflation could be stimulated again just when it was coming to heel, and some of the union demands could keep efficiencies from being implemented, putting US ports behind those of even some second- and third-world ports for … Read More