Markets
Cattle feeders found higher prices as 2020 came to a close, but their ability to push the market higher may hinge on how Live Cattle futures perform in the first weeks of the New Year.
Cattle feeders gained enough leverage to push negotiated cash cattle prices higher during both holiday weeks as 2020 drew to a close. Supplies of fed cattle will tick lower during the first quarter of 2021.
Cash cattle in the South traded steady, and futures contracts had a decent week but packer needs during the holidays seem to have more of an effect than the futures market.
Fed cattle treaded steady in the South to weaker in the North, with wholesale beef prices posting additional declines for the week. Friday’s cattle on feed report was as advertised and will be viewed as neutral.
Placements in feedlots during November totaled 1.91 million head, 9 percent below 2019. Net placements were 1.85 million head.
Cash cattle trade began on Tuesday last week, but bids were scarce even at lower money. Some feeders held strong for higher money, but with the decline in the CME board a higher market never surfaced.
Cattle markets limped through a lackluster week for cash sales as wholesale beef prices plummeted. Despite lower cash cattle prices, packer margins likely declined significantly with lower cutout values.
Negotiated cash cattle traded started at higher money mid-week, but in their rush to move cattle some feeders agreed to lower prices and the week ended on a softer note.
The post-Thanksgiving negotiated trade was mixed, with higher prices mid-week, falling off $1 to $2 by week’s end. Feeder cattle sold uneven, $2 lower to $3 higher.
The first shipments of the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand arrived in China in November, ushering in the potential for a new, powerful buyer for high-quality U.S. beef.
The Choice beef cutout price has rallied nearly $30 in November while cash fed cattle prices have gained just $5. As a result, packer margins have increased while feeding margins struggle to remain above water.
Cattle markets entered November with solid gains across all sectors. Fed cattle rebounded with higher prices in all regions while feeder cattle jumped $2 to $7 per cwt.
A large winter storm is advancing across the central U.S. bringing cold temperatures and some much-needed moisture. Feedlots continued to build inventory during September leading to a record inventory for Oct. 1.
Profitability for both cow-calf and feedyards is projected to improve in 2021, Sterling Marketing president John Nalivka told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.
Packers aggressively sought inventory last week and cash fed cattle prices surged $2 per cwt., to instances of $3 higher for the week. Large trade volumes were reported in the North at $107 to $108 per cwt.
A fall rally in cash fed cattle markets has added $5 to $6 per cwt. over the past three weeks. Feeder cattle remain in moderate demand, but drought conditions across much of the Great Plains is affecting cattle markets.
Large volumes of cattle traded in all regions at $2 higher prices ahead of Friday’s cattle on feed report which counted 4% more inventory than last September.
Agri Beef, a cattle feeding, farming and beef processing company in business since 1968, announced it plans to open a new beef packing facility in Jerome, Idaho.
USDA released Wednesday the long-awaited report on its investigation into cattle market disruptions following last year’s Tyson Foods packing plant fire and this spring’s impact from the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are some ways to help manage stress in cattle during the summer and how to help their caregivers manage their own stress to enable them to be successful.
One impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the beef industry has been an increase in the number of carcasses grading Prime, but the shuttering of high-end restaurants that sell Prime beef, however, softened demand.
Montana Senator John Tester and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley claim American farmers and ranchers face “a grave crisis, and it could hurt every family who buys meat at the grocery store.”
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley asks Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to publicly release findings from USDA’s investigation into beef pricing margins following the fire at Tyson’s plant in Holcomb, Kansas.
Tyson’s cooperation in the DOJ investigation of price fixing and bid rigging in the broiler industry is part of a request for formal leniency under the agency’s Corporate Leniency Program.
This first full-week following the Memorial Day holiday delivers signals cattle markets may see a second wave of downward pressure, the after-shocks of the COVID-19 earthquake.
Missouri lawmakers told a hearing in Jefferson City last week they hope to form a working group to explore the idea of helping secure a beef harvest and processing facility in the state.
A Brazilian Superior Court ruled Tuesday Joesley and Wesley Batista can return to positions of management at J&F Holding, the parent company of JBS SA, the world’s largest meat packer.
Barring a major setback, it appears that America’s beef markets are moving past the worst of the COVID-19 disruptions that have caused upheaval in recent weeks.
“A lot of folks think we should mandate with a law—a federal LAW, mind you, because those always work out so well—that more feeders sell in the cash market. But tying feeders’ hands like this isn’t the answer.”
The President made a broad statement Tuesday about cattle imports, asking USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to look into terminating bringing in cattle from other countries. However, a decision could come with consequences.