Strong beef demand has been a key in 2018 and will be critical as higher beef production carries over into 2019, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Specialist in a letter to Extension agents. Beef production this year is up 2.7% because of higher slaughter and carcass weight increases.  In the past six … Read More

Large commodity investment funds, known as managed money, continued to back away from their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday as cattle owners pulled back from their net short position. That conclusion came from data supplied by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in its weekly Commitments of Traders report. … Read More

Year-to-date 2018 export values for beef and veal exports have the highest value of meat and poultry products, averaging $2.36 per pound, driven largely by high-value markets in Asia, said the USDA in a recent report. And, despite representing less than 0.1% of total 2018 US animal protein export volumes, lamb and mutton shipments have … Read More

The percent of monthly beef production graded choice or select has declined so far this year, and the reason can be put on the back of the USDA. The US method of producing beef for the table produces more carcasses that are graded choice by USDA meat inspectors or cameras than it does select.  For … Read More

CNBC reported Monday that the Trump Administration is planning tariffs on a remaining $257 billion in Chinese goods if talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi fail. Some analysts have blamed the possibility of failure in those talks for triggering the latest profit-taking move in the US stock market. At the same time, an … Read More

African Swine Fever is altering the outlook for hog production and trade around the world, said Rabobank Senior Analyst for Animal Protein Christine McCracken in an analysis last week. In short, prospects for improved export demand for ASF-free countries has grown following outbreaks in China and more recently in Belgium, which is close to France … Read More

Large commodity investment firms, or managed money, continued to wean themselves from their collective net long live cattle position in the week ended Tuesday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said Friday. In its weekly Commitments of Traders report, the CFTC said managed money’s new net long live cattle futures position as of Tuesday was 72,597 … Read More