Amid the uncertainty of the fed cattle and wholesale beef markets in the wake of Tyson Foods’ fire at its Holcomb, KS, plant, is the possibility that cattle and product prices could make counter-seasonal moves. In the end, the markets likely will even out, but in the short run, the uncertainties of how, when and … Read More

The US/China trade war cooled a bit this week as President Donald Trump delayed the imposition of new 10% tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods for at least a couple of months. That does not, however, stop the tariff war, especially after China allowed its currency the renminbi, or yuan, to slip below … Read More

Beef magazine recently ran a series of articles from Private Market Advisor Nevil Speer about the inner workings of the futures markets.  Beef has graciously allowed their reprinting here. This is the third in the series, edited for length and style.   FUTURES BY ANY OTHER NAME   Futures markets seem to illicit an array … Read More

The USDA Monday raised its forecast for total red meat and poultry production in 2019 to 104.624 million pounds from 104.517 million last month as increases in broiler and turkey production more than offset expected production declines in beef and pork. For 2020, the red meat and poultry production forecast was raised to 106.479 billion … Read More

Fed cattle prices likely will weaken in the wake of Saturday’s fire that closed Tyson’s Holcomb, KS, fed cattle slaughter and packing facility “indefinitely,” market analysts and a feedlot manager said. Wholesale and retail beef prices also could rise until supply chains can be reshaped, the analysts said. At the very least, cattle market volatility … Read More

The live cattle basis isn’t allowing much of a hedging window for cattle futures currently. The basis is the difference between cash and futures markets, calculated by subtracting futures prices from cash prices.  When the result is a positive number, it means cash prices are higher than the futures delivery month in question, and when … Read More

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading jumped to 153 in July, up 27 points from June and up 52 points from May on improved expectations for current economic conditions, according to a university release. Results are based on a survey of 400 agricultural producers across the US conducted from July 15 through 19, … Read More