Wholesale choice beef prices are up, and have been since the Aug. 8 fire at Tyson Foods’ Finney County, KS, beef plant, but the whole-carcass gains don’t show the whole picture. Some cuts are up sharply from last year amid seasonal and changing consumer desires while others either lag or remain within the confines of … Read More

The USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board raised its forecast for 2019 total red meat and poultry production from October on higher beef, pork, broiler and turkey production. The new figures came in the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report Friday.   2019 PRODUCTION ESTIMATE UP   In the report, the 2019 beef production … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, called managed money for short, continued to increase their collective net long position in live cattle futures during the week ended Tuesday, according to the weekly Commitments of Traders report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Friday’s COT report showed that managed money’s new net long position stood at 60,498 contracts, … Read More

Kansas feedlots cut sales of slaughter-ready cattle to packers in September, pulling sales very near last year and the 2013-2017 average. The data comes from a Kansas State University survey of selected feedlots around the state that was compiled and extrapolated by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver before being published on their website. … Read More

September’s US beef exports were nearly steady with last year in volume, although the value of those exports trended lower, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. In a release, the USMEF also said September pork exports were above year-ago levels but pulled back from the large totals … Read More

Right on schedule, holiday beef demand has shown up in wholesale markets, and it appears to be aggressive, said Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University agricultural economist, in a letter to Extension agents called Cow/Calf Corner. Strong demand and tighter choice supplies (from a lower percentage of choice carcasses) are contributing to sharply higher choice beef … Read More

While the prospect of expanded exports to China appears promising with the Phase 1 deal, the overall increase in US soybean exports may not be at levels equivalent to Chinese buying said Todd Hubbs, agricultural economist with the University of Illinois in a letter to Extension agents called Farmdoc Daily. During the 2018-19 marketing year, … Read More