US beef and pork exports in February bounced a little from January, and improving West Coast shipping conditions hint at a further improvements in March. The USDA reported total beef and veal exports in February of 177.980 million pounds, up 15.3 million, or 9.41%, from 162.678 million in January when West Coast ports were all … Read More

As cattle producers and feeders seek the best possible return on their investment, it would seem their best bet would be to aim their business toward branded product with the best genetics for marbling. There’s little surprise in that, but USDA data back up a plan to target the branded beef market, which by definition … Read More

4-6-15 – Managed money continued to buy cattle futures in the week ended Tuesday while commercial traders continued to sell, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In its latest Commitments of Traders report, the CFTC said the net long live cattle position of managed money, or large speculators, grew 11,904 contracts, or 22.2%, to … Read More

Cattle feeders continued to lose money last week, but higher fed cattle prices eased the flow of red ink a little.  The situation was similar for beef packers as product prices rose during the week. Sterling Marketing’s Beef Profit Tracker said unhedged feedlots last week lost an estimated average of $128.80 for each fed steer … Read More

Have US cow/calf producers slowed the rate at which they are growing their herds?  Or, after boosting heifer and cow retention last year, are they stopping any further expansion efforts for a while? The answers would appear to be yes and no.  They may be slowing their growth rate, but they are not stopping the … Read More

Managed money bought live cattle futures during the week ended Tuesday as the Jun contract rose sharply to challenge chart resistance. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report for the week ended March 24, showed managed money, another name for large investors, buying a net 7,665 long cattle contracts while covering a … Read More

The good news is last week’s stronger cash cattle prices helped cattle feeders with their negative margins.  The bad news is those margins remain in the red by more than $170 a head. The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker from Sterling Marketing in Vale, Ore., and published by AgWeb, said unhedged feedlots lost an average of … Read More