Farm lending activity at commercial banks slowed further in the third quarter alongside a drop in operating loan volumes, said Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Economists Nate Kauffman and Ty Kreitman, in a Bank release of the results of a survey of agricultural banks. The number of new non-real estate farm loans was flat compared … Read More

Total red meat supplies in freezers on Sep. 30 were up about 2% from the previous month but down about 17% from last year, the USDA said in its monthly Cold Storage report Wednesday. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up about 6% from the previous month but down about 20% from last year, … Read More

The Federal Reserve Bank’s Beige Book, a monthly treatise on US economic activity and health said in its October report that most Federal Reserve districts indicated little to no change in economic activity since the September report. Consumer spending was mixed, especially among general retailers and auto dealers, because of differences in prices and product … Read More

USDA data showed that 2023 US beef exports trail last year’s record pace by about 12% in volume at 881,343 tonnes and about 19% in value at $6.69 billion. US Meat Export Federation President Dan Halstrom said in a release following the latest release of monthly export data that US beef exports faced “significant headwinds, … Read More

For the third straight week, large commodity index funds, known as managed money, reduced their collective net long live cattle futures position during the week ended Tuesday. At the same time, cash cattle dealers, known as commercial traders, trimmed their total net short live cattle position. The data came from Friday’s weekly Commitments of Traders … Read More

Using projected corn prices, feeding cost of gain was expected to decline to $114 per cwt in December from $142 in August, and then remain in the $103- to $112-per-cwt range for the first six months of 2024, said Purdue University Agricultural Economist Michael Langemeier, in a University release. It is important to note than … Read More

Between 2019 and 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted society and economic activity, said the Federal Reserve Bank in a release about its triennial Survey of Consumer Finances. Nonetheless, the SCF reveals broad-based improvements in family finances, particularly with respect to net worth. The Federal Reserve Board’s survey collects information about family income, net worth, … Read More