For 2025, the USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report lowered its estimate of total red meat and poultry production. The estimate for 2025 broiler production was raised.   BEEF PRODUCTION ESTIMATE RAISED   Beef production for the year was raised 15 million pounds, or 0.06%, to 26.700 billion pounds from 26.685 billion … Read More

Last week’s attention to President Donald Trump’s new tariffs and the resulting drops in stocks, commodities and even gold, prompted Colorado State University Agricultural Economist Stephen Koontz to focus on the USDA’s prospective plantings report. In an article for the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s newsletter In The Cattle Markets, Koontz said the report had implications … Read More

All the news agencies have mentioned it — US agriculture is especially vulnerable to fluctuations in trade with Mexico, Canada and China. Ty Kreitman, economist at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, said in a Bank article that several major commodities and staple consumer food products rely heavily on trade to and from those countries. … Read More

February pork exports were moderately lower than a year ago, despite continued success in Mexico and Central America, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. February beef exports also were lower than last year after trending higher in January, a USMEF release said.   PORK EXPORTS DECLINE   … Read More

Managed money, a moniker for large commodity index funds, again increased their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday while commercial traders boosted their total net short position. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission made the data known in its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday with data from the week … Read More

The first moves toward rebuilding the US cattle herd may have begun as weekly federally inspected cow slaughter is down from a year ago and the 2019-2023 average. “We’re starting to get rain in western parts of the country,” a feedlot manager said.  Producers are starting to retain cows, but not heifers yet. Market analysts … Read More

The value of a hay bale is determined by a complex set of supply and demand factors, said Scott Clawson, Oklahoma State University Extension Agricultural Economist. Writing for the Cow-Calf Corner, Clawson said cattle producers could say that hay, especially in drought conditions, is an essential item for the cow herd.  Thus, it will be … Read More