US red meat exports in February fell below last year’s levels, according to USDA/Economic Research Service and Foreign Agriculture Service data compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. Ongoing trade disputes were blamed for pork’s headwinds, but USMEF CEO Dan Halstrom said in a USMEF release that US/Japan trade talks were something to be encouraged … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, again increased their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday as hedgers increased their net short position. Both moves were a continuation of trends that began the week ended Nov. 27.  The data was released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Friday … Read More

Feeder cattle futures may be presenting producers with a hedging opportunity, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, in the Cow/Calf Corner, a letter sent to Oklahoma Extension agents. With generally good summer forage prospects, stocker cattle demand remains strong, Peel said.  Lightweight feeder cattle prices have yet to confirm a seasonal … Read More

Among the data from the USDA’s Economic Research Service are projections for reduced feed use this year, contributing to forecasts for higher ending stocks than were expected before the last Crop Production report. Reduced US corn export prospects because of higher production and shipments from other countries and lower expectations for ethanol production were covered … Read More

A university Agricultural Economist said in a paper Monday that market fundamentals are bearish at the start of the planting season. Todd Hubbs, agricultural economist at the University of Illinois, wrote in the Extension Agency’s FarmDocDaily that corn prices held steady last week after the bearish World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report projected a … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known collectively as managed money, increased their net long live cattle futures position to its largest in more than a year as hedgers lifted their net short position to its largest in at least the same period. The data became available Friday in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of … Read More

Weekly average wholesale beef prices have made the annual early spring turn lower, awaiting the late-spring rally to the annual top. Those seasonal peaks and valleys in prices are entrenched and appear to have little to do with concurrent slaughter data, except in the broadest sense.  Instead, the seasonal price movements appear to have as … Read More