The USDA’s Economic Research Service Thursday projected higher corn and sorghum ending stocks this year despite lowered production forecasts by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Monthly USDA Situation and Outlook Report Authors Tom Capehart, Olga Liefert and David Olson reduced projected corn used for ethanol for the 20187/19 crop by 50 million bushels to … Read More

Packer buyers may not be paying the premiums for choice- or prime-grading cattle they were paying a year ago, but USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service data show they are getting more. That likely is because of an increase in the number of cattle being slaughtered, a market analyst said.  Data from the AMS and USDA’s National Agricultural … Read More

Total US per capita meat consumption on a retail weight basis grew slowly through the third quarter, but it was at the expense of red meat consumption, according to the Livestock Marketing Information Center. Quarterly retail weight beef and pork consumption during the quarter were down marginally while chicken consumption rose, the LMIC said.  Interestingly, … Read More

The USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board Tuesday raised its estimate of 2018 total red meat and poultry production as higher beef and poultry production forecasts more than offset lower pork production. The USDA made the estimates in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report.  For 2019, the total red meat and poultry forecast … Read More

US beef export values remained on a record-shattering pace in October, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. At the same time, October pork exports trended seasonally higher but remained below those of October 2017, the USMEF said. In a release, USMEF President Dan Halstrom credited climbing demand … Read More

Much has been made of the contribution of Mexican cattle to the US Cattle on Feed report, but just how important is it in the larger scheme of things? To that end, Brenda Boetel, Extension agricultural economist at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, examined the question for the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s letter to Extension … Read More

Cattle feeders currently are aiming for a higher percentage of their cattle to grade choice rather than select, but lowered profitability may change their minds. That is, unless one of two things happen: (1) packers resume paying premiums for cattle that yield choice-grading carcasses or hold out the promise of strong premiums in coming weeks … Read More