The USDA’s weekly wholesale choice boxed beef price may be beginning a seasonal downturn unless supplies get short enough to support a continuation of 2023’s higher price levels. The weekly USDA choice beef cutout value, as compiled and plotted by the Livestock Marketing Information Center took a hit last week, but the weekly dip came … Read More

In the context of trading finished cattle to the packing house, a negative grid refers to a pricing mechanism used by packers to determine the value of the cattle based on certain predetermined criteria, said Narciso Perez, director of cattle operations for Zia Agricultural Consultants, in an email. It involves applying discounts to a negotiated … Read More

During the week ended Tuesday June 20, managed money, a proxy for large commodity index firms, reduced their collective net long position in live cattle futures while cattle owners trimmed their total net short position. The data came from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report Friday.   FUNDS SELL CATTLE   … Read More

The USDA reported that total red meat supplies in US freezers on May 31 were down about 7% from the previous month and down about 11% from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were down about 6% from the previous month and down about 20% from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down … Read More

Drought-forced beef cow herd liquidation has made the industry smaller than it needs, or planned, to be, said Oklahoma State University Livestock Marketing Specialist, Derrell Peel, said in a letter to Extension agents called Cow-Calf Corner. There will be strong market incentives to rebuild herds when it is possible to do so, he added. Recent … Read More

For the last five weeks, cutter cow (90% lean) prices have been more than $90 per cwt on a live basis, said the Livestock Marketing Information Center in a market analysis called Livestock Monitor. This year started with a weekly price for cutter cows of $67.60 per cwt.  It then climbed steadily into midyear, the … Read More

As of June 1, Canada’s population of cattle in feedlots was slightly less than the 2017-2021 average and on course to follow the seasonal trend downward. The data came from CanFax, a private market advisory firm located in Calgary, Alberta.  The data is from member feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  Most of the gathered information … Read More