Commodity investment funds, called managed money, reduced their net long live cattle position during the week ended Tuesday, ending a six-week string of gains that took them to their largest net long position in more than a year. Those who handle the cattle, called commercials, covered a small portion of their net short positions in … Read More

The difference, or spread, between wholesale choice and select beef prices continues to narrow but is due for a seasonal upturn. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center through last week shows the choice/select spread has dropped sharply since its unusual peak the first week of June at $23.81.  Since … Read More

Cattle feeding margins last week declined as fed cattle prices dipped and feed costs for cattle sold to packers rose, according to the Sterling Profit Tracker. The Sterling Profit Tracker is the work of John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing Inc., in Vale, Ore., and is published by AgWeb. The feeding margin for fed cattle … Read More

Cash fed cattle prices are being pressured by live cattle futures as the Aug contract nears its last trading day on the 31st. Futures markets are designed to converge with cash markets by the time the nearest futures contract reaches its last trading day, in this case, Aug. 31. Deliveries of live, slaughter-ready cattle to … Read More

Meaningful beef trade volumes from last week’s agreement with Brazil to open both markets to fresh and chilled beef likely will take a while, said two prominent agricultural economists. Ron Plain and Scott Brown, agricultural economists at the University of Missouri, co-authored an outlook report that looked into that development and concluded that any significant … Read More

The USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board Friday reduced its estimate of 2016 meat and poultry production as lower estimates for pork and chicken production more than offset estimates of gains in beef and turkey. In its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the USDA said total red meat and poultry production for this year … Read More

Wholesale beef prices continue to trend lower, generally following last year’s second-half direction as supplies increase. The USDA’s choice boxed beef cutout is about to cross below the 2010-2014 average and could remain there for years as the cattle cycle continues to crank out more fed cattle. SEASONAL GAINS VS SUPPLY BOOST The 2010-2014 average … Read More