The USDA’s National Agriculture Statistical Service’s weekly reading of range and pasture conditions is one week away from its normal US seasonal conclusion, with pasture ratings quite variable by region, said the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s Livestock Monitor, a letter to Extension staff. At the national level, 25% of pastures were rated good or excellent … Read More

After dipping a little this year, total per-capita US red meat and poultry consumption was expected to make a small gain next year but fall away in 2023, according to data from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and the Economic Research Service, which were compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Service in Denver. Over … Read More

Livestock loan demand grew in the third quarter, boosting agricultural lending activity at commercial banks, said Economists Nathan Kauffman and Ty Kreitman of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, in a release. Demand for operating loans was more subdued, however, and total non-real estate lending remained near its 10-year average, the economists said.  The average size … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, took on a larger collective net long position in live cattle futures during the week ended last Tuesday, Oct. 19, as hedgers expanded their cumulative net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   FUNDS GET LONGER … Read More

Total red meat supplies in US freezers on Sep. 30 were up about 4% from the previous month but down about 4% from last year, according to the USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report Friday. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up about 5% from the previous month but were down about 6% from last … Read More

Despite widespread precipitation from the central Rocky Mountains east to the northern and central Plains from Oct. 11 to 13, much of the contiguous 48 states remains locked in drought, the US Drought monitor showed Thursday. The weekly map showed near-normal moisture conditions in central Kansas eastward.  Areas to the north, south or west of … Read More

US economic activity grew at a modest to moderate rate in the period from Sep. 8 to Oct. 8, according to the majority of Federal Reserve districts and reported in the Beige Book Wednesday. Several districts noted, however, that the pace of growth slowed, constrained by supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and uncertainty around the … Read More