Closeouts of fed cattle from Kansas feedlots in March dropped seasonally to a level slightly less than the 2019-2923 average but continued to be more than March 2924. The data came from the Livestock Marketing Information Center, which was compiled from information gathered by the Kansas State University Extension service.  The Extension service surveys a … Read More

Contributing to a rally in live cattle futures, large commodity index funds, known as managed money, extended to extend their net long position, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In its weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday, the CFTC also showed that commercial traders, those who own, or will own, the cattle … Read More

The fed cattle market continues to pop, said Agricultural Economist David Anderson of Texas A&M University, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets. “Pop as in a champagne cork not a balloon,” Anderson said. There certainly have been some fluctuations in prices, especially in the futures market, over the last … Read More

While concentrated in a few states, US cow/calf production is spread out across the country providing regional differences in feeder cattle prices. In general, those differences tend to reflect distance away from the middle of the contiguous 48 states where the cattle are fed for slaughter.   REGIONS   Data from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics … Read More

The decision to rebuild a cow herd is based on profitability, not just current prices, said University of Arkansas Agricultural Economists James Mitchell and Ryan Loy, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets.  A mathematical formula can be helpful. The economists said there are many factors involved in the decision … Read More

The weekly wholesale price difference between USDA choice and select grades of beef has narrowed the last two weeks but remains wider than either last year or the 2019-2023 average. Overall, the difference, or the choice/select spread, remains on an seasonally widening trajectory that won’t level out until late June, according to USDA Agricultural Marketing … Read More

During the week ended Tuesday, managed money turned and began extending their collective net long live cattle futures position.  At the same time, cattle owners lengthened their total net short position. The data came from the weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.   MANAGED MONEY BUYS CATTLE   Tuesday, … Read More