This week’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress report likely was seen as bearish, since crop conditions are good, and progress was ahead of last year and the five-year average. The report showed that 95% of the nation’s corn crop had been planted as of Sunday, compared with last year’s 92% and the 2016-2020 average … Read More

Major trading groups kept a near-steady hand on their live cattle futures positions during the week ended Tuesday, May 25, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   FUNDS’ POSITION NEAR STEADY   Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, had a cumulative net long live cattle position … Read More

The feedlot situation is improving but it will take longer to process current feedlot supplies, and challenges at the packing level will slow the process for at least several more weeks, said Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Specialist Derrell Peel, in a letter to Extension agents called Cow/Calf Corner.   PACKER CAPACITY THE BOTTLENECK   … Read More

The difference between reported wholesale choice and select beef prices, called the choice/select spread, is widening and is even approaching last year’s COVID-related high, according to data from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. Strong demand for beef, especially choice product, along with controlled output from the beef … Read More

Canada’s cattle on feed situation began a seasonal decline in April that generally continues through August, according to data from CanFax that was processed and published by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. CanFax, a private market advisory group, surveys feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan to obtain the data.  Most of the information is shared only … Read More

Total red meat supplies in US freezers on April 30 were down bout 3% from the previous month and down 17% from last year, according to the monthly Cold Storage report. That report, from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, also said total frozen poultry supplies on that date were down slightly from the March … Read More

For the second straight week, large commodity investment firms, known as managed money, took a collectively larger net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday, according to data released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday. Also for the second straight week, hedgers, known as … Read More