After a general decline in fed cattle prices since peaking in late March, it’d be natural to think cattle feeders would be looking for a bottom, but the odds are it won’t be for another two or three months. It’s possible, of course, that the annual price bottom could materialize soon.  After all, last year, … Read More

The USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report showed that total US frozen red meat supplies on May 31 were down 2% from a month earlier and down 6% from last year. The news on beef stocks might be especially good for bullishly construed cattle traders as total pounds of beef on ice were down 6% from … Read More

Pork export data show that export demand is down, especially to key countries, but domestic demand appears to be just fine. A story for the National Hog Farmer by Kent Bang of Campeer Financial, said, “Pork prices at retail in the latest reports indicate that pork prices were higher year-over-year led by bacon prices at … Read More

Chicago corn futures declined Wednesday amid thoughts that planting woes this year were overblown, but they’re still up significantly from two months ago, which could help to keep calves on grass longer, wrote a university Extension economist for the Livestock Marketing Information Center. Stated another way, lush pasture growth this year from all the rain … Read More

Some cattle feeders currently are able to take advantage of the current difference between cash prices for fed cattle and the Jun or Aug futures price, or the basis.  Others are not.  It all depends on how well hedged they are. University of Tennessee Agricultural economist Andrew Griffith said it well in his weekly letter … Read More

As cattle producers and beef packers deal with various trade restrictions, a late winter, flooding and a disrupted corn planting season, it looks like the cool, wet weather also has diminished beef consumption. It’s impossible to say that beef “demand” has been hampered, but the flow of beef through retail grocery and restaurant outlets, or … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money in the trade, continued to close in on a net-zero position in live cattle futures during the week ended Tuesday, according to data released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday. The CFTC’s weekly Commitments of Traders report said that, as of Tuesday, managed money’s net … Read More