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

Cattle slaughter through the end of February was lower than last year, which was not a surprise given the tighter inventories, said Will Secor, Extension livestock economist at the University of Georgia, in a letter for the Livestock Marketing Information Center. However, two developments have emerged, Secor said.  First, the distribution of the cattle being … Read More

A larger-than-expected US corn acreage forecast didn’t seem to bother futures traders much as the crop still was seen as a profitable venture for farmers, said Matthew Diersen, risk and business management specialist at South Dakota State University. Writing for the Livestock Marketing Information Center, Diersen said, “expectations for higher profits from corn related to … Read More