Beef and hog markets may not get real excited about Friday’s USDA Cold Storage report.  Supplies of beef and pork in US freezers on May 31 were up from last year but were not out of line with the 2012-2016 averages. Total red meat supplies in cold storage were down 2% from the previous month … Read More

Beef production so far this year is up 3.6% on larger cattle slaughter and increased carcass weights, adding pressure to an already stressed beef market, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, in the Extension Service’s newsletter “Cow/Calf Corner.” Year-to-date cattle slaughter is up 3.8%, driven by increases in female slaughter, Peel … Read More

Average fed slaughter cattle prices continue to work lower, and the bottom may not come until late September or early October, according to USDA data. The data, collected and disseminated by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, show weekly Southern Plains fed steer prices last week were $112.33 per cwt on a live basis.  This was … Read More

Market hog prices are rising seasonally as slaughter declines, but prices also may be nearing a seasonal top as higher dressed weights produce more pork that will have a harder time finding export demand, according to an analysis in the “National Hog Farmer.” The story by University of Missouri Professor Emeritus, Ron Plain, said cash … Read More

Forecast increases in 2019 supplies of red meats, poultry eggs and milk will be driven largely by expected gains in production, particularly for beef, pork, broilers, turkey, eggs and milk, said the USDA’s Economic Research Service Monday in its monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook. Increased imports also are likely to be an important factor … Read More

Managed money, or large commodity investment funds, renewed their search for a collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday, Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed Friday. The CFTC’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday showed managed money with a net long live cattle futures position of 21,352 contracts on Tuesday, … Read More

Increased availability of beef resulting from higher slaughter levels appears to be taking a toll on beef cutout values. The USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report Tuesday estimated total 2018 beef supply at 30.888 billion pounds, up from 2017’s 30.001 billion but not up to the 2019 estimate of 31.598 billion.  Most of … Read More