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U.S. beef exports finished 2020 down 5% in both volume and value, but finished the year on an upswing with fourth quarter volume up 4.4% from 2019 and posting one of the best months on record in December.

The cattle on feed inventory on Jan. 1 (14.71 million head) is a record 57.3% of the feeder cattle supply. This means there are less than two head of feeder cattle available outside feedlots for every animal on feed.

Cattle producers Hugh Sanburg, Norman Voyles, Jr. and Jimmy Taylor are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2021.

USDA’s first look at net farm income shows without continued ad hoc government payments, net farm income will drop this year.

While cattle traded higher for the second consecutive week, and the highest since last May, the action was frustrating for feeders who see fundamentals that suggest much higher prices.

Cash-traded feeder pig reported volume was below average this past week, with 4,800 head reported. Cash feeder pig reported prices were $97.36, down $2.81 per head from last week.

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.

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) may be back on the table, but it’s far from a done deal. The topic was brought up during Tom Vilsack’s confirmation hear thing week, but one economist says the economics have changed.

Even though official numbers won’t be released until early next week, U.S. Meat Export Federation says a promising finish to beef exports in 2020 could set the stage for record shipments in 2021.

Tyson Foods, Inc., is piloting a new Matrix Medical Network program that assesses, addresses, verifies and monitors the effectiveness of Tyson’s efforts to protect its workforce from COVID-19.