Agricultural economy sentiment tied with its highest reading of 2019, according to the November Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Rising for a second straight month, the barometer grew to a reading of 153 in November, up 17 points from October and matching the previous 2019 high set in July.   CURRENT-CONDITIONS INDEX UP   … Read More

A major winter storm disrupted Thanksgiving travel last week and will have a variety of effects for some time, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University agricultural economist, in a letter to Extension agents called Cow/Calf Corner. The latest snow and cold hampered an already difficult crop harvest.  Though frozen conditions may increase access to muddy … Read More

The number of cattle populating feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan moved slightly higher in October, fulfilling a seasonal tendency to bottom in September but falling short of the number on feed a year earlier. The data came from CanFax, a private data and consulting firm in Canada, and was disseminated by the Livestock Marketing Information … Read More

US economic activity expanded modestly from October through mid-November, similar to the pace of growth seen over the prior reporting period, said the US Federal Reserve Bank in its latest Beige Book. Most Federal Reserve districts reported stable to moderately growing consumer spending, and increases in auto sales and tourism were seen across several districts, … Read More

With the US corn and soybean harvests way behind normal because of this year’s wet weather conditions, the Illinois Farm Policy News reported that propane shortages continue to exacerbate the problem. On Monday, Reuters reported that, “Regional shortages of propane, which is used for heating homes and barns and by farmers to dry their crops, … Read More

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service this month released a study of current US mandatory fed cattle price reporting and has announced its intentions to hold a stakeholder meeting of the study’s findings and recommendations. An AMS release said the meeting was to be held on Dec. 12 at the USDA’s National Grain Center in Kansas … Read More

Total red meat supplies in US refrigerated warehouses on Oct. 31 were up 1% from the previous month but down 1% from last year, said the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in the monthly Cold Storage report Friday. Total pounds of beef in freezers were down 1% from the previous month and down 10% from … Read More