Large commodity investment funds, called managed money, trimmed their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended last Tuesday, Aug 30, as hedgers cut their total net short position. The information came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday, which revealed that managed money had liquidated some … Read More

Strong growth in farm real estate debt pushed agricultural loan balances at commercial banks higher in the second quarter, said Kansas City Federal Reserve Economists Nate Kauffman and Ty Kreitman in a release. Outstanding farm debt increased about 5% from the previous year, the fastest pace in nearly six years, Kauffman and Kreitman said.  While … Read More

Speaking at an annual economic policy symposium sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and held in Jackson Hole, WY., Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said, the Federal Open Market Committee’s overarching focus right now is to bring inflation back down to its 2% goal. “Price stability is the responsibility of the … Read More

Colorado State University Agricultural Economist Stephen Koontz said in a Livestock Marketing Information Center newsletter to Extension agents this week called In The Cattle Markets that strong domestic and export demand was fueling strong beef prices. That shouldn’t be a big surprise, but Koontz added that “if beef prices are strong and supplies are reasonably … Read More

Canada’s total beef cattle inventory on July 1 was lower than last year as the number of cows dipped and heifer replacements declined, according to data from Statistics Canada that was compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver.   JULY 1 TOTALS DROP   A graph of the July 1 data showed a … Read More

Managed money, a moniker for large commodity investment funds, increased the size of their collective net long live cattle position in the week ended Tuesday, while cattle owners extended their total net short position. The information came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   FUNDS GET LONGER CATTLE   … Read More

The US beef market, which never is crystal clear, seems murkier than ever right now, a market analyst said. On one hand, wholesale beef prices for choice grade beef over select grade remain elevated compared with the 2016-2020 average when seasonal pressures should be taking them lower, the analyst said. On the other hand, frozen … Read More