Strong seasonal demand and recent decreases in beef production have pushed beef prices sharply higher, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, in a letter called Cow-Calf Corner. The last week of May, the choice USDA boxed beef price was $364.92 per cwt, up 16.5% year over year and has increased 7.7% … Read More

Assuming tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and China don’t last forever, the USDA’s Agricultural Trade Office in Shanghai, China, said the city of Hefei’s economic transformation over the past decade combined with the city’s strategic location, educated workforce, efficient logistics, and innovation-friendly policies offer opportunities for US agricultural exporters and brands. In a report Tuesday, … Read More

Due in part to a sharp decline in shipments to China, April exports of US beef and pork trended lower than a year ago, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. In a release, the USMEF said China’s retaliatory duties were a major headwind for US beef and … Read More

In a continuing theme of keeping their collective net long live cattle futures position near steady, large commodity index funds, or managed money, nudged their position higher during the week ended Tuesday. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday also said cattle owners, or commercial traders, increased their total net short … Read More

Agricultural credit conditions deteriorated in the first quarter of 2025, and farm real estate values softened in some regions, according to the Federal Reserve Bank’s Surveys of Agricultural Credit Conditions.   WEAKER CROP PRICES   Economist Ty Kreitman and intern Morgan Mastrianni, authors of the Federal Reserve Bank’s release, said weak crop prices over the … Read More

The Federal Reserve Bank’s Beige Book reported Wednesday that across the 12 Federal Reserve districts economic activity declined slightly since the previous report in April. Half of the Federal Reserve districts reported slight to moderate declines in activity, three districts reported no change, and three districts reported slight growth.  All districts reported elevated levels of … Read More

Choice beef prices seem to be getting more inelastic than they were 20 or 30 years ago. Ignoring the four-week price spike in May of 2000 when COVID cut production, USDA choice boxed beef prices continued to rise and have been setting weekly record prices this spring.   TRADING HIGHER THAN $300   In fact, … Read More