The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said in its weekly Crop Progress Report Monday that US corn planting was 80% complete, well ahead of the 2016-2020 average of 68%. A market analyst credited excellent planting weather for the advanced pace of corn planting and for the faster-than-normal rate of emergence, which was reported at 41% … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, reversed course during the week ended Tuesday and took on a larger net long live cattle futures position. At the same time, hedgers, those who own, or will own, the cattle at some point, known as commercial traders, took reversed their trend toward smaller net short live … Read More

Agricultural credit conditions in the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank’s Tenth District continued to strengthen in the first quarter of 2021, the bank said in a release showing the results of its quarterly credit survey. After a sharp rebound at the end of 2020, conditions in the broad agricultural economy continued to improve alongside additional … Read More

Total US red meat and poultry production for 2022 was forecast to be more than 2021 as higher pork and poultry production estimates more than offset lower beef production forecasts, said the USDA in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report Wednesday. Beef production was forecast lower on smaller year-over-year slaughter levels.  Pork … Read More

US red meat exports ended the first quarter on a very high note, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation, with March beef and pork exports each posting the highest monthly value on record. Pork exports and shipments of beef muscle cuts also set new volume records in … Read More

Chicago corn futures prices tumbled Monday amid news reports showing the likelihood of better growing conditions – at least for the short term, market analysts said. Planting progress and rain in some key areas of the contiguous 48 states were credited with the price pressure.  Weekend rains were better than some expected last week, accelerating … Read More

Managed money, those large commodity investment funds, for the fourth straight week liquidated long futures positions and as of Tuesday were at their lowest point in 3 ½ months. At the same time, commercial traders, those who own, or will own, the cattle at some point in their lives, cut their collective net short live … Read More