Latest News From Greg Henderson

Cash cattle trade was called active with packers seeking to add inventory. Retailer buying was also active as they anticipate a seasonal slowdown in supplies.

Brazilian meatpackers continue to procure cattle from inside the country’s protected areas more than a decade after zero-deforestation cattle agreements were signed to reform the sector.

Popularity and acceptance of case-ready products continues to rise with retailers while boneless products show slight decline, according to National Retail Meat Case Study.

Beef packers would like to own more cattle but they’re afraid showing their hand will only raise asking prices. Moderate trade occurred in all regions at slightly higher money.

The leverage shift continues to swing toward ranchers and feedyards as cattle supplies tighten and prices move higher.

America’s cowboys think the tech giant could have Googled more accurate scientific information about beef’s sustainability and value to the environment.

Cattle feeders have slowly gained market leverage over the past few weeks as cattle numbers tighten. Packers grudgingly bid higher money for cattle on the High Plains and the Corn Belt this week.

Sustainable Beef LLC, the rancher-driven beef processing facility proposed for North Platte, Neb., is one step closer to reality after an official ground-breaking ceremony.

Market leverage has shifted dramatically toward ranchers and cattle feeders over the past two months. The combination of rising cattle prices and declining wholesale beef prices has eroded historic packer margins.

JBS USA announced it is closing its Planterra Foods business unit subsidiary with the OZO brand just two years after its launch.

A northwest Missouri man will serve two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty Friday to the 2019 murders of two Shawano County, Wisconsin, brothers.

Active trading in the North and the South provided steady prices while CME futures and wholesale beef prices moved lower for the week.

Even a 10% reduction in U.S. beef exports and imports would cause a significant disruption to prices and quantities of both feeder cattle and fed cattle, according to a new economic analysis.

California passes a new law to encourage hunters to be more aggressive in reducing the state's feral pig population.

Western Legacy Development Corp. continues to search for a site to build its $1.1 billion beef processing facility after being rejected by two cities in the northern plains.

Cash cattle sold higher in active trading ahead of the September Cattle on Feed report which saw slightly higher inventories but within the range of trade expectations.

Voters in Switzerland will decide on a referendum that would ban "factory farming" and tighten its already strict animal welfare regulations.

The Justice Department says it has filed a memo in federal court with its recommended sentence for Washington rancher and cattle feeder Cody Easterday who pleaded guilty in a $244 million "ghost cattle" scheme.

Cheyenne, Wyoming's mayor fueled speculation about possible relocation of the Western Legacy beef packing project with his comments in a weekly column in Wyoming media.

Cattle prices moved moderately higher in both the North and the South last week as the declining supply of market-ready cattle gradually shifting leverage toward feedyards.

Once operational in late 2024, American Foods Group's new beef facility in Warren County, Missouri, will process 2,400 head of cattle per day.

Cash fed cattle traded flat with most activity on Thursday ahead of Friday's CME futures rally. Expectations of tighter cattle supplies this fall supports bullish ideas for prices.

The first of two trials for a Missouri man accused of killing two Wisconsin brothers is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2022. Garland Joseph Nelson has been held without bond since his arrest in July of 2019.

Beef exports in July topped $1 billion for the sixth month in 2022. Pork exports were lower overall, but shipments to Mexico and and South Korea continued to strengthen.

Average feed costs for finishing cattle and hogs are 25% to 28% higher than the same week last year, according to Sterling Marketing's weekly calculations.

If pastures are managed properly during times of low moisture, the effects of drought will be less severe and pastures will rebound faster when precipitation is sufficient.

Cattle in all categories traded mostly lower ahead of the Labor Day weekend. Packers head into next week with smaller inventories and cattle owners hope that encourages more aggressive bidding.

An outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce consumed at Wendy’s restaurants has spread to at least six states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sustainable Beef LLC received a giant boost in its efforts to bring a new, 1,500 head per day beef processing facility online with a commitment from Walmart.

Convicted of wire fraud and running a Ponzi scheme that raised $650 million from investors across the country, a couple now face decades in prison.

The average cost of feeding a steer to finish weight was 25% higher for cattle marketed last week and is projected to be 31% higher for cattle placed on feed last week at roughly $600 per head.

A producer-owned meat processing facility is set to open in the north-central town of Havre, Montana, this fall.

Cash cattle trade was called moderate in all regions but estimated cattle slaughter will be higher this week. Auction prices for both calves and feeder cattle were stronger.

Higher cash cattle prices and lower wholesale beef prices have erased much of the historic profits beef packers saw last year, according to estimates by Sterling Marketing, Inc.

The alternative meat industry some believed could disrupt traditional meat is struggling with some of America’s high-profile brands rethinking their menus. Disruption appears denied by demand for the real stuff.

Active trade pushed cash fed cattle prices higher again as the market has now advanced $7 over the last three weeks. Drought-induced feedyard placements created a modest surprise for analysts.

Construction will begin this fall on a $200 million upgrade to the existing beef complex and add employee facilities, including locker rooms, a cafeteria and office space.

The Alameda County, Calif., Board of Supervisors is set to consider banning wild cow milking contests in rodeos and the use of spurs and straps used by rodeo cowboys.

During a ceremony in downtown Amarillo, principals for Producer Owned Beef announced their plans for a 3,000-head per day beef packing facility that will break ground next year.

Sudden deaths late in the feeding phase are both frustrating and expensive. Simplot Land & Livestock says its research suggests genetic selection can greatly reduce the incidence of bovine congestive heart failure.

Cattle markets reversed a month-long lower trend with decent gains in all regions, a strong indication retail buying for the Labor Day holiday has begun.

Despite chatter about a global economic slowdown, U.S. beef exports remain on a torrid pace in 2022. Pork exports fell short of last year's record pace.

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott introduced legislation Friday he says will provide financial assistance and create new marketing opportunities for small cattle producers.

The initial steps have been taken in the process for Sustainable Beef LLC to construct a new beef packing facility in Nebraska. In Missouri, American Foods Group intends to break ground on its new plant in August.

American Foods Group is ready to begin construction on its new 2,400-head per day beef packing facility in east-central Missouri.

USDA's mid-year inventory is the smallest since 2015 with beef cow herd down 2.4%. Cattle on feed inventories unchanged from last year at 13.4 million.

Environmental and advocacy groups are urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use its authority to conduct more oversight of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO).

Australian authorities said this week they have detected "viral fragments" of foot and mouth disease on a small number of products entering the country from Indonesia and China.

A New Mexico jury rules in favor of a cattle producer in a contract dispute with Tyson Fresh Meats, ordering the packer to pay millions in actual and punitive damages.

Feedyard sales continue to slide lower though marketings are seen as current. Drought is forcing ranchers to trim their herds but cull cow prices are holding firm.