Large commodity index firms, known as managed money, trimmed their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday while hedgers pared their total net short position.   MANAGED MONEY SELLS CATTLE   Tuesday, managed money had a collective net long live cattle position of 43,777 contracts, down 545, or 1.23%, from … Read More

Growth in beef-on-dairy has raised several questions, but the effects on US beef production are small, said James Mitchel, Extension livestock economist at the University of Arkansas and Kenny Burdine, livestock specialist at the University of Kentucky, in a letter called In The Cattle Markets by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. During the liquidation phase … Read More

The Annual Retail All Fresh Beef Demand Index compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center using Bureau of Labor Statistics and USDA Economic Research Service data shows a demand decline the last two years. The Retail Beef Demand Index started in 2000 with a value of 100, the LMIC graph said.   BEEF DEMAND STILL … Read More

The USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service based in The Hague, Netherlands, said in a report Tuesday that the EU’s beef and pork production was expected to turn down. A dim economic outlook and mounting regulations are pressuring cattle herd sizes while the pig cycle is near a multi-year low.   2025 HERD TO SHRINK FURTHER   … Read More

This year’s Australian beef supply surged and is projected to reach the second-highest production level on record next year, according to a report from the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service in Canberra, Australia. That anticipated expansion follows a major turning point in 2024, with production estimated to increase by 14% from 2023 and 34% from the … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, continued to extend their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday, according to the weekly Commitments of Traders report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC also said cash cattle traders, known as commercial traders, or just commercials, extended their total … Read More

The USDA’s September forecast for 2024 red meat and poultry production was raised Thursday from last month on higher beef, pork and broiler forecasts. For 2025, the red meat and poultry production forecast was raised to 25.625 million pounds from August’s estimate of 25.445 million with beef production up on higher steer and heifer slaughter … Read More