Livestock Risk Protection has often sparked the interest of cow-calf producers and smaller cattle feeders looking for a cost-effective way to transfer downside price risk to others, wrote Matthew Diersen, risk and business management specialist at South Dakota State University, in a Livestock Marketing Information Center letter called In The Cattle Markets. A few years … Read More

August US pork exports were about steady year-over-year, led by another tremendous performance in Mexico, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation. Beef exports were well below the large totals posted in August 2022 but showed gains over July results, the USMEF said in a release.   PORK … Read More

Managed money, a moniker for large commodity investment firms, decreased their collective net long live cattle futures position in the week ended Tuesday while hedgers cut their total net short position. The information was contained in the weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.   FUNDS CUT LONG CATTLE POSITION … Read More

Consumers relate the color of meat to freshness and base their purchasing decisions on color more frequently than any other quality trait, said Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle nutrition specialist, in a letter to Extension agents. A recent published study from Oklahoma State University meat science researchers noted the US beef industry … Read More

Heifer retention is expected to increase sharply at some point in the coming months, which will drop the number of heifers in feedlots and decrease heifer slaughter, said Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel, in a newsletter called Cow-Calf Corner. The July quarterly USDA data showed heifers made up 39.9% of feedlot … Read More

Agricultural producers’ sentiment declined for the second straight month, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index fell nine points to a reading of 106 in September, wrote James Mintert, agricultural economist at Purdue, in a report on its monthly producer survey. This month’s Ag Economy Barometer survey was conducted from Sep. 11-15.   … Read More

Large commodity index funds, commonly known as managed money, increased their collective net long live cattle position during the week ended last Tuesday, Sep. 26, as hedgers cut their total net short positions. The data came from the weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.   FUNDS BUY MORE CATTLE … Read More