As swords rattle on Ukraine’s border with Russia, it seems like a good time to examine a little of why Russia might invade and what it might mean to global grain markets. New York Times writers Dan Bilefsky and Richard Perez-Pena Tuesday delivered a good account of why Russia seems intent to invade Ukraine.  The … Read More

Farmland values continued to increase at a rapid pace through the end of 2021, said two economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in a release. Economists Francisco Scott and Ty Kreitman said, alongside sustained strength in farm income and credit conditions, the value of all types of farmland in the Tenth District … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, increased their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday as hedgers boosted their total net short position. That was according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   FUNDS GO LONG CATTLE   Managed money … Read More

US beef exports last year greatly exceeded previous volume and value records, surpassing $10 billion for the first time, according to year-end data released by the USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. Pork exports finished 2021 slightly below the record volume reached in 2020 but set a new value record, topping $8 … Read More

The 2022 forecast for total US red meat and poultry production from the USDA’s World Outlook Board was lowered slightly from last month Wednesday, as higher forecast beef production was thought to be more than offset by lower pork, broiler and turkey production. The new estimates came from the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand … Read More

The USDA-Foreign Agriculture Service in Brazil revised down its 2021/22 forecast corn harvest to 113 million tonnes, compared with the USDA’s official estimate of $115 million, because of disappointing first-crop corn volumes, the agency said in a Grain and Feed Update report. Consequently, the corn export forecast also was lowered to 42 million tonnes from … Read More

The latest forecast by the Livestock Marketing Information Center shows the 2022 and 2023 total hay supplies could be down from last year to some of the lowest since records began in 1998. The middle of winter is as good a time as any to check on the nation’s hay supply.  To this end, the … Read More