Feeder steer prices continue to work unevenly lower, the latest bump notwithstanding, as continued heavy losses by cattle feeders encourage a more muted sense of need by those who feed cattle for slaughter. The CME Cattle Feeding Index, a weighted average value for feeder cattle in several markets, declined $0.29 per cwt Monday after a … Read More

The USDA Friday increased its forecast for total 2015 and 2016 meat production from its previous estimate a month ago, a move that may pressure cattle and hog prices this week. In its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the USDA’s beef production estimate for this year was raised to 23.794 billion pounds … Read More

Low wholesale prices for beef and seasonal consumer preferences appear to be showing up in this week’s beef price quotes from the USDA, but such gains are not readily apparent. Seasonal demand for certain cuts is bloating their prices at the wholesale level while leaving the seasonally less-desirable cuts languishing.  This is helping to support … Read More

As the Trans-Pacific Partnership heads to Congress for approval, there is plenty of controversy about whether the accord that will open export-market doors goes far enough to promote US interests. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association issued a statement saying the trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries concerning a variety of matters, including tariffs, was … Read More

US meat inventories are growing, increasing the competition for consumer attention.  Beef, pork and chicken industries give every indication of having ample, or even growing, supplies through 2016. Volumes of red meat and poultry in cold storage surpass year-ago and 2009-2013 averages by wide margins, and breeding herds and flocks either are near record large … Read More

Fed cattle prices have dropped every week since the first week of August, only the second time since 1974 that a drop of this magnitude has occurred in this period, and the drop may not be over. In Kansas alone, prices have dropped 13.4% over the period, going to an average of $129.94 the week … Read More

In the week ended Tuesday, managed money, or large fund speculators, increased their net long position in live cattle futures by a small margin as futures prices attempted, but failed, to stabilize. During the week, managed money’s net long position increased 1,097 contracts, or 21.9%, to 6,098 from 5,001 the week before, according to the … Read More