John Nalivka

John Nalivka is the president of Sterling Marketing, Inc., which provides economic research and market advisory services to the livestock and meat industries. He became affiliated with Sterling in 1991 as executive vice president and he has owned the company since 1994. Nalivka serves clients across the red meat supply chain from producers to end-users.

Latest Stories
Regulatory activity may be the single greatest threat to U.S. food production as it impacts the entire supply chain from the producer to the consumer. It appears U.S. regulatory activity is increasing.
Analyzing profit and loss relationships across the production end of both the beef and pork supply chains is key to decisions regardless of where you sit in that supply chain.
While packing plant closure and slow-downs disrupted the beef industry in 2020, demand will become more critical heading into 2021 including consumption at-home, away-from-home, and for export.
A judge in eastern Oregon awarded $180,000 in litigation costs to animal rights groups in a wild horse lawsuit. Such management and litigation show the system has gone awry.
“The concept of sustainability that will be tested the next few years concerns economic security. Our U.S. public debt has become unsustainable, an issue that must be addressed.”
John Nalivka’s projections for the 2020 Cattle Inventory show a decline of 1.6%, which, if realized, would be smallest inventory number since 2016.
Ranchers can no longer consider their end product as calves or yearlings, with their role in the industry complete once those calves or yearlings are loaded on a truck and leave the ranch.
Beef cow slaughter in 2019 will be the highest relative to the overall cow herd since 2013, and suggests tighter supplies in 2020 and higher overall prices.
Important to meeting global demand and U.S. consumer demand is the growing desire of consumers to have input in how livestock are raised.
It is disconcerting to watch as a few become disruptive at a time when the beef industry is realizing very positive progress in moving to satisfy the most important aspect of any business – the customer.