Following a sharp increase in farmer sentiment to close out 2022, the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer had only a modest increase in January, up 4 points to a reading of 130, said Purdue University Agricultural Economist James Mintert, in a release. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 US agricultural … Read More

Female cattle slaughter remains elevated despite the passing of the new year, and indicates cattle herd liquidation didn’t stop with the fall weanings but continues into 2023, according to USDA slaughter data compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver. Most of that extra female slaughter is comprised of heifers and dairy cows, but … Read More

Feeder steer and heifer prices were higher last week, as were slaughter cow and bull prices, but the primary driver of prices in coming weeks and months will be linked to pastures, said Andrew Griffith, University of Tennessee agricultural economist, in a letter to Extension agents called Tennessee Market Highlights. Questions the feeder cattle market … Read More

It’s no secret that the difference between the USDA’s choice and select boxed beef prices (known as the choice/select spread) is narrowing rapidly, but it’s not so obvious that it remains higher than last year or the 2017-21 average. Starting out the year with a seasonally wide weekly spread of $26.79, the spread last week … Read More

During the last half of the 20th Century, crop, and animal and animal product prices increased less than average US prices except early in the high inflation of 1973-1982, said Carl Zulauf, environmental and development economist at Ohio State University and Gary Schnitkey, agricultural economist at the University of Illinois, in a release published by … Read More

Tuesday’s semi-annual Cattle (Inventory) report showed the total US cattle herd likely was slightly larger than many traders expected, although it had declined significantly from a year ago. Because the herd is slightly larger than many expected, it’s possible the futures market has a smaller number baked in, and the report will be seen as … Read More

Despite the current wave of China’s COVID-19 infections, 2023 import forecasts of beef and pork were revised upward and now are seen higher than 2022, said the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, in the monthly Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade. However, chicken meat imports were forecast marginally lower, the FAS said. The upward revisions … Read More