Questions about whether Livestock Risk Protection premiums adjusted with volatility in the market like options do can be answered in the affirmative, said Mathew Kiersen, risk and business management specialist at South Dakota State University in a Livestock Marketing Information Center release called In The Cattle Markets. Like options, LRP has several moving parts, Diersen … Read More

The Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday cut the Fed Funds rate by 0.25 percentage point to a range of 4.25% to 4.5% as inflation was seen cooling, but indicated it expected fewer rate cuts next year than was expected. FOMC members this week projected a flatter GDP, unemployment rate and PCE inflation rate going forward … Read More

Last week’s average USDA choice beef cutout value was up from the previous four weeks and was the eleventh highest weekly value of 2024, showcasing the consumer and export demand for the product. In fact, a line graph’s pattern of the choice beef cutout value has woven its way around last year’s line all year, … Read More

The USDA expected the percentage of annual consumed US red meat imports to show an increase for 2024 and climb to near-record highs in 2025. In its monthly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook report, the USDA said total red meat imports were influenced heavily by beef imports, which in 2019-2023 were an average 70.5% of … Read More

Large commodity index funds, or managed money, increased their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday for the twelfth straight week as hedgers raised their total net short position for the third straight week. In revealing the data, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report showed a … Read More

Farm debt balances at commercial banks continued to rise in the third quarter, said Kansas City Federal Reserve Economists Cortney Cowley and Ty Kreitman, in a Bank release detailing the results of a survey of banks. According to the report data, growth in agricultural production loans slowed from earlier in the year but remained strong, … Read More

Federally inspected steer and heifer dressed weights may have peaked for the year. USDA data that was compiled, graphed and published by the Livestock Marketing Information Center showed that steer and heifer dressed weights over the last two weeks were down from the previous week.  However, both remain well above the same weeks last year … Read More