It looks like things will have to change before there can be significant numbers of live cattle deliveries this month. A look at basis calculations from the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver shows that the basis, the result of cash markets minus the futures delivery month price, is too narrow to make delivering on … Read More

There is little indication currently of a rising cow inventory in the near future, said Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle breeding specialist, a letter called Cow-Calf Corner. There also is the potential for good profits for cow/calf producers in the short term, he said. The current cattle cycle, the multi-year pattern of … Read More

Large commodity index funds, known as managed money, continued extending their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday, almost doubling their position. At the same time, cattle owners, known as commercial traders, extended their total net short live cattle position. The data came from the weekly Commitments of Traders report … Read More

US beef imports are liable to remain elevated this year as cow slaughter slips. The latest USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report Jan. 12 had 2023 beef imports projected to end up at 3.708 million pounds, up 318,000, or 9.38%, from 2022’s 3.390 million.   BEEF COW SLAUGHTER STILL ACTIVE   USDA statistics … Read More

All cattle and calves in the US as of Jan. 1 totaled 87.157 million head, 1.684 million, or 1.90%, fewer than the 88.841 million on Jan. 1, 2023, the USDA said Wednesday in its semi-annual Cattle (Inventory) report. Totals listed were not a big surprise to cattle owners, traders and analysts.  Anecdotal reports indicated that … Read More

Dec, 1 hay stocks saw a significant rise after last year’s 50-plus-year low and is up 6.9% nationally, according to USDA data compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. In a letter to Extension staff called Livestock Monitor, the LMIC went on to say 2023 production still was the third lowest in the last 50 … Read More

Most cattle sectors have some seasonality in prices because of biology, feedstuff growing seasons and climate, said Matthew Diersen, risk and business management specialist at South Dakota State University in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets. Seasonalities tend to be reflected in futures prices when contracts across expirations are examined, … Read More