If beef and fed cattle prices are moving higher in the short term, gains likely will be capped by rising volumes of red meat in cold storage. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its monthly Cold Storage report Tuesday.  It showed that total red meat stocks in US freezers as of Jan. 31 were … Read More

January cattle feeding returns remained mired deep in red ink, but losses were dramatically less than in late 2015, and some now are projecting a profitable year for the most economically managed feedlots. Calendar year 2014 was by most accounts the second best year ever for High Plains cattle feeders, while 2015 was by all … Read More

Large commodity funds gave up some of their net long live cattle position during the week ended Tuesday, even though commercial traders extended their net short position. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission weekly Commitments-Of-Traders report Friday showed managed money, a term for large fund traders, reduced their net long position to 11,437 contracts from 13,766 … Read More

Grocery retailers are gearing up for grilling season, pushing prices for grillable cuts at the expense of products that are cut into roasts. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s data show a decided bump in wholesale prices for boneless beef ribeye prices the last three weeks while prices for chucks and rounds have declined over the … Read More

Cattle carcass weights have a strong seasonal tendency to decline from March to late April, and futures traders Wednesday said this was behind the gains in futures prices. Touting the seasonal decline in carcass weights implies a belief in a coming tighter beef supply and rising prices for beef and fed cattle.  But the waters … Read More

US alfalfa hay exports last year nearly set a record high, falling short of the 2013 high by only 34,562 tonnes, and with more abundant rainfall the last two years, it would seem that a new record could be set this year. Given the expense of trucking hay from one place to another in the … Read More

The number of cattle populating Canada’s feed yards declined in January, remaining above year-earlier figures and below the 2010-2014 average. Data from CanFax for feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan and compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center show the number of cattle on feed Feb. 1 at 919,080 head.  This is down 18,611, or 1.98%, … Read More