The number of cattle populating feedlots in Canada is declining seasonally but at a faster rate than last year, according to statistics from CanFax, a private market advisory group and compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. CanFax does not release all of its data to non-members, but it does reveal the total number on … Read More

Beef magazine recently ran a series of articles by Private Market Analyst Nevil Speer explaining various aspects of the futures markets. Beef has graciously given its permission for Zia Ag Consultants and Zia Commodities to rerun those articles.  This is the fourth in the series, edited for style.   USING FUTURES, OPTIONS FOR HEDGING   … Read More

Total red meat supplies in US freezers as of July 31 were 9.635 billion pounds, up 312 million pounds, or 3.35%, from 9.323 billion a month earlier and up 207 million, or 2.10%, from 9.842 billion on the same date last year, the USDA said in its latest monthly Cold Storage report. Additionally, total frozen … Read More

It really is no surprise, but the Sterling Profit Tracker from Sterling Marketing in Vail, Ore., showed that packer margins jumped after fire closed Tyson Foods’ Holcomb, KS, beef plant. The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker, published by Drovers, showed estimated beef packer margins in the week ended Aug. 16 to be a plus $358.38 a … Read More

Average monthly retail beef prices have dipped back to being close to last year although above the 2013-2017 average, even though consumers are paying more for choice beef, according to statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the USDA’s Economic Research Service. The data was compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver.  … Read More

As the markets cool after Tyson’s fire at its Holcomb, KS, beef slaughter and packing plant, a well-known agricultural economist took a look at the role of markets in disaster situations. Derrell Peel, from Oklahoma State University, examined market reaction in a letter to Extension agents called Cow/Calf Corner.  This is a shortened version of … Read More

Large commodity investment firms, or managed money, trimmed their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday, while hedgers barely moved their net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in its weekly Commitments of Traders report on Friday. Managed money’s new net long position Tuesday stood … Read More