Weekly US beef exports jumped sharply in the week ended Sep. 10 to 17,400 tonnes, even though the US Dollar Index remained strong.  In fact, the US may be on track to record an annual increase in beef exports. The latest weekly beef export number was up 9,300 tonnes, or 114.8%, from 8,100 in the … Read More

The annual low for cash fed cattle prices may be in.  If it isn’t, the low is likely to come in mid-December. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service 5-market average price for fed steers two weeks ago was $105.02 per cwt on a live basis, down $4.66, or 4.25%, from $109.68 the previous week. The 2010-2014 … Read More

Current market pricing suggests stocker producers could benefit by choosing lighter-weight calves and allowing the larger ones to go to the feedlot, said Derrell Peel, agricultural economist at Oklahoma State University in a market analysis. “Lightweight feeder cattle appear to be underpriced relative to feedlot value at the current cost of gain,” Peel said. Stocker … Read More

Managed money, or commodity investment funds, cut their net long live cattle futures position for the fifth straight week as commercial traders trimmed their net short positions for the fourth week. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, in its weekly Commitments Of Traders report Friday said that for the week ended Tuesday, managed money’s net long … Read More

Live cattle futures prices currently hold a bullish short-term tone, but there are technical and fundamental factors that may be worrisome to traders with bullish ideas of market direction. The most-active Dec live cattle futures contract this week moved higher overall and remains above some key chart support lines going into Friday’s trade.  However, there … Read More

It seems the market is turning its back on cattle producers again, issuing a “gotcha” instead of an “attaboy.” Cattle feeders often complain that packers pull the rug out from under them by withdrawing or reducing premiums for certain carcass characteristics just about the time they begin supplying the latest demand signal. If the market … Read More

The outlook for feeder cattle prices remains bearish long term, so much so that “the cyclical nature of beef cattle prices could force the calf and feeder cattle market even lower the next couple of years,” said University of Tennessee Agricultural Economist Andrew Griffith in a weekly market letter. “Many older producers are probably saying … Read More