The number of fed cattle the “average” feedlot marketed to beef packers in April rebounded from the March low but remained slightly lower than last year and significantly lower than the 2016-2020 average. The data came from the Kansas State University Extension Service which polled a select segment of Kansas feed yards for the information, … Read More

Farm real estate debt at commercial banks grew modestly in the first quarter, while production loans remained steady, said Economists Nate Kauffman and Ty Kreitman of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, in a report. Alongside soaring farmland values, real estate loan balances increased at the fastest pace in nearly four years and drove an … Read More

Large commodity investment firms, known as managed money, slashed their collective net long position live cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday as hedgers did the same to their total net short position. The data was revealed in Friday’s Commitments of Traders report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.   FUNDS CUT LONG CATTLE POSITIONS … Read More

Lauren Clark, in a 2019 Masters of Science thesis called “Disaggregating Beef Demand,” provided a detailed account of the ground beef market. A summary of the thesis was published in a letter to Extension agents called Cow-Calf Corner.   RETAIL MARKET   Ground beef at retail typically depends almost exclusively on domestic fresh beef, often … Read More

The Federal Reserve Bank Wednesday said the US economy was showing mostly slight to modest growth. The Bank, in its latest Beige Book, reporting on economic activity across its 12 districts, said there was ongoing growth in manufacturing, although some districts reported a slowing in the pace of growth.   GROWTH REPORTED   Contacts in … Read More

Some traders are using and advising option spreads to mitigate risk, so Matthew Diersen, risk and business management specialist for South Dakota State University’s Ness School of Management and Economics penned an overview in the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s letter to Extension Agents called In The Cattle Markets.   DEFINITION   Spreads are various combinations … Read More

Large commodity index funds, otherwise known as managed money, cut their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday for the fourth straight week. Hedgers, called commercial traders, followed suit, cutting their total net short live cattle position for the fourth straight week. The information came from the Commodity Futures Trading … Read More