Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, decreased their collective net long live cattle futures positions during the week ended Tuesday as hedgers covered many of their net short positions. That was according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   FUNDS SELL CATTLE FUTURES   Tuesday, … Read More

The USDA Thursday projected per-capita consumption of red meat and poultry to decline next year, led by a pullback in beef, the USDA said in its July Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook. Total per capita consumption of red meat and poultry is projected to decrease by 1.6 pounds to 226.1 pounds in 2025. “Consumption” actually … Read More

Lending at commercial banks associated directly with farm production strengthened in the second quarter, said Nate Kauffman and Ty Kreitman, economists at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, in a white paper Wednesday. According to a survey called Survey of Terms of Lending to Farmers, the volume of new operating loans increased 20% from the … Read More

So far, 2024 has been pretty kind to cattle feeders, with positive calculated average monthly returns in all but January and February. Strong, stable demand for choice beef along with declining output could be helping to keep feedlots in the black, a market analyst said.   K-STATE ASSESSMENT   Each month an updated assessment of … Read More

Large commodity index funds, called managed money, raised their collective net long live cattle futures position for the fourth straight time in the week ended last Tuesday, July 9, as hedgers edged their total net short position higher. The data came from Friday’s weekly Commitments of Traders report from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.   … Read More

Friday’s USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report lowered its total US red meat and poultry production forecast for 2024 slightly from last month with lower forecast broiler and turkey production more than offsetting higher beef and pork.   2024 BEEF PRODUCTION CALLED HIGHER   The beef production estimate for 2024 was raised to … Read More

The percentage of beef grading choice out of all graded beef is running very close to last year and the 2018-2022 average as federally inspected production follows last year more closely than the previous five-year average.   CHOICE GRADING NOW MORE NORMAL   The USDA’s listing of the percentage of beef production that graded choice … Read More