As cow/calf producers and feedlots look to put up and purchase hay for the winter, they should pay attention to how it is baled and stored to maximize the nutrient value when fed. It pays, then, to look at the various storage methods and how they can affect the as-fed quality of the forage.  Much … Read More

US beef exports set a new value record in May, even though year-over-year volume also rose, said the US Meat Export Federation after analysts there compiled USDA data released Monday. Exports of US beef and beef variety meats in May totaled 117,871 tonnes, the sixth largest on record.  It was up 6,658, or 5.99%, from … Read More

June’s cash fed cattle market was something of a slow burn after being hit hard in May, said Nevil Speer, agricultural industry consultant of Bowling Green, KY, in a market analysis on the “Beef” website.  It’s all a part of the seasonality of cattle prices. Last year, the cattle market found an extra shot of … Read More

President Donald Trump continues to say the US can’t lose a trade war with China, but can China withstand a trade war?  But Shareholders Unite said in an article on “Seeking Alpha” that China’s loss is not our gain. The Chinese economy is vulnerable at the moment, Shareholders Unite said.  Plagued by large debts, which … Read More

While the number of fed steers sold to beef packers in May dipped below last year, it remained above the 2012-2016 average, and the cattle sold were efficient about turning feed into pounds, a Kansas State University Extension Service monthly survey found. The number of head sold to packers in May was down and final … Read More

Friday, the USDA released its Acreage and Grain Stocks reports, which provided little support for corn and soybean prices, said Todd Hubbs, from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the university’s publication “farmdoc daily.” Trade policy jitters and weather remain the major price movers, but growth … Read More

Managed money, or large commodity investment funds, raised their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday, while hedgers trimmed their net short position slightly. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday said that as of Tuesday, managed money had a net long position of 27,190 contracts, … Read More