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

US December beef and variety meat exports declined counter-seasonally while pork exports were up, according to the USDA Economic Research Service and Foreign Agriculture Service statistics. Japan remained the leading value market for US beef in 2015, yet exports declined about 15% year-over-year in volume (204,927 tonnes) and 19% in value ($1.28 billion, the lowest … Read More

Feeder cattle prices at auction are stabilizing in all major sectors of the country and in all weight ranges as the markets emulate either last year’s moves or the 2010-14 average. A compilation and analysis of USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data by the Livestock Marketing Information Center shows year-to-date price movements in their own narrow … Read More