Agricultural producers’ sentiment increased for the second straight month, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index rose five points to a reading of 115, a 12% increase from 2022. A Purdue University release said, the sentiment growth was attributed largely to farmers’ improved perceptions of their farms’ financial conditions and prospects.  This month’s … Read More

Kansas feedlot managers sold fewer slaughter-ready cattle in October than in September, a normal trend, but this year’s monthly decline was less steep than usual. The data came from a monthly survey of selected feedlots around the state by the Kansas State University Extension service.  The data is forwarded to the Livestock Marketing Information Center … Read More

Managed money, a proxy for large commodity index funds, trimmed their collective net long live cattle futures position for the eighth straight week during the week ended Tuesday. At the same time, commercial traders, those who own, or will own, the cattle, covered more of their total net short position for as many weeks. The … Read More

The current rate of cow and heifer slaughter indicates continued herd liquidation, said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, in a university letter called Cow-Calf Corner. The Jan. 1 USDA Cattle (Inventory) report included a beef cow herd of 28.9 million head, down 3.6% year over year and the smallest beef cow … Read More

On balance, economic activity slowed since the previous Beige Book report from the Federal Reserve Oct. 18, with four of the 12 districts reporting modest growth, two indicating conditions were flat to slightly lower and six noting some declines in activity. Those observations came with the latest Beige Book report on economic activity Wednesday.   … Read More

It looks like live cattle futures deliveries early next month may be limited to non-existent, a market analyst suggested. The weekly average five-market fed steer price from the USDA last week was $176.77 per cwt, while the Dec futures settlement price Tuesday was $171.85, for a basis (cash minus futures) of $4.92.  With cash prices … Read More

Agricultural credit conditions in the Federal Reserve Bank’s Tenth District softened during the third quarter, a Bank Report said. The report was authored by Kansas City Federal Reserve Economists Nate Kauffman and Ty Kreitman, located in the Omaha, Neb., branch.  The Federal Reserve’s Tenth District encompasses Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, the northern half of … Read More