Since the Federal Open Market Committee began tightening monetary policy in March 2022, interest rates have risen, resulting in higher borrowing costs and reducing the value of commercial bank’s securities investments, said Blake Marsh and Brendan Laliberte, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, in a release. “After amassing securities during the pandemic, … Read More

4-12-23 – US pork exports remained robust in February, achieving double-digit increases over last year in volume and value, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. Beef exports were lower year-over-year but improved from the low totals posted in January, the USMEF said.   PORK EXPORTS UP   … Read More

Fed cattle prices are strengthening, but wholesale beef price increases seem to be lagging, setting up a squeeze on beef packers and hinting at some consumer spending changes. David Anderson, Extension economist at Texas A&M University, writing in the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s In The Cattle Markets, said while fed cattle prices jumped again, hitting … Read More

As of last Tuesday, large commodity funds, called managed money, had increased their collective net long position in live cattle futures, while hedgers had boosted their own total net short position. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission revealed the data in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday, and given the gains made in cattle futures … Read More

Sales of slaughter-ready cattle from Kansas feedlots rose counter-seasonally in February, although seasonal tendencies call for declines through April. The data comes from a monthly survey of selected feedlots around the state conducted by the Kansas State University Extension Service.  The data is turned over to the Livestock Marketing Information Service in Denver where it … Read More

4-5-23 – Farmer sentiment weakened again in March as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell eight points to a reading of 117, said Purdue Agricultural Economist James Mintert, in a release. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 US agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone survey, the release said.  This month’s survey … Read More

As has been anticipated for several months, beef production is decreasing, said Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economist Derrell Peel in a letter to Extension agents. Through most of March, beef production averaged 6.4% lower compared to the same period last year, the result of decreases in both cattle slaughter and carcass weights, Peel said.   … Read More