Fed Cattle
What happens when we assign the “Monty Hall Problem” to our decision-making process for the beef industry? The difference being we know what’s behind each door, but will we choose correctly?
Cattle feeders refused some early bids last week and were rewarded with higher prices in all areas, resulting in another opportunity to clean up show lists.
Rapidly rising wholesale beef prices kept packers actively looking to add inventory this week. Choice boxed beef closed Friday $16.64 per cwt. higher than two weeks ago.
Last week’s cash market topped $150! It’s a timely opportunity to review the need for regulatory intervention into the cash market (i.e. the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022).
Cattle feeders held out for higher money last week and the result was the highest cash prices in seven years. The week’s harvest of 673,000 head was the third largest of the year.
USDA reported the first year-over-year decrease in feedlot inventories since December 2021, but the decline came from steer numbers as heifers on feed were up 1.4%.
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.
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.
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.
August beef exports were slightly above last year’s large volume and topped $1 billion in value for the seventh time in eight months this year.
Following beef quality grade trends may not be as exciting as college football, but for beef marketers quality grade is the game and this season is nothing short of dynamic.
Feeding a calf is an investment. Consider these breed, weight, health and carcass qualities when selecting the animal to get started on the right foot and economically fill the freezer!
The North American Meat Institute answered questions asked of meat and poultry industry companies by House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott during a hearing on beef and cattle markets.
Amidst all the recent concerns about the economy, inflation and consumer sentiment, beef demand and pricing power has remained incredibly resilient.
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.
Proposed new beef processors face multiple challenges in launching their new ventures, but Sustainable Beef, LLC and Producer Owned Beef believe their new models make them attractive to both cowboys and retailers.
Pennchlor® and Rumensin® approved for use together giving beef producers more options to improve the sustainability and efficiency of their business.
The September 2022 Cattle on Feed report pegged inventory up 0.5 percent from August, indicating that August was the low point for this year.
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.
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.
AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben talked with buyers and sellers at a feeder cattle auction in Northern Indiana. She traveled to Shipshewana, Indiana.
The Cattle Price Transparency Act of 2022 would subject every cattle producer in the country to a business-altering government mandate, says NCBA.
Monday’s reveal of the Senate’s updated cattle market reform bill generated some strong opinions from a cross-section of industry stakeholders, but no consensus.
After a rally during the first week of 2016 to $134.04 per hundredweight, the 5-Area Accumulated Average Cattle Price dropped to $132.30 per hundredweight.
After a small dip last week to $132.30 per hundredweight, the 5-Area Accumulated Average Cattle Price jumped back up to $133.24 per hundredweight.
America’s cattle feeders earned an average of $323 on a cash basis for every steer and heifer they sent to market during the first eight months of 2017.
Packer margins improved $55 per head last week as Choice beef cutout values gained nearly $4 per cwt and cash cattle prices declined $1 per cwt.
Cattle feeding losses averaged $83 per head last week, while packers recorded $168 per head profits, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
While cash cattle prices slipped only modestly, cattle feeders saw margins erode by $86 per head, falling from an average profit of $38 two weeks ago to an average loss of $49 per head last week.