Procurement decisions by feedyards are heavily influenced by vaccination status and current health condition. An “Industry Insights” report from CattleFax and Angus Media provides useful insight on current trends.
Outside factors pressured cattle markets through most of the past week before futures and wholesale beef prices rebounded on Friday. Market fundamentals remain positive for cattle going forward.
More days on feed means more opportunity for something going wrong – ultimately ending in increased death loss. Preventive illness management before arrival is more important than ever.
Packers applied the brakes and cattle slaughter declined another 13,000 head last week and capacity utilization dipped 9%. Pork producer margins print $7 in the red.
Magnum Feedyard, Wiggins, Colo., was recognized as this year’s Feedyard Commitment to Excellence award winner at the Certified Angus Beef Conference in Las Vegas.
Working off a big trade the previous week and slowed production, packers were reluctant to purchase cattle but the futures market took a dip and buyers stepped in at steady money and gathered inventory.
Cattle futures posted weekly losses including a technically bearish weekly low close in December live cattle. Cash markets were weaker, but strong cash fundamental remain in place.
While the market average trading range has narrowed from the recent historically wide range, the total market average in the six-state region has priced in a fairly tight range in the low to middle $180’s since June.
Eight beef packing projects are in various stages of completion that could add 10% to total industry capacity; is it needed? What potential headwinds might these ventures face?
Cattle futures rallied to all-time highs on Friday after Thursday's sell off, supporting negotiated cash prices that reported mostly steady for the week.
Agriculture is changing rapidly; that inherently creates tension. However, producers who operate believing “success is within my control” are the ones most likely to succeed amidst the turbulence.
Congestive heart failure is estimated to cause 4% of feedlot mortality causing significant economic losses to feedlots as the majority of these deaths occur late in the finishing period.
KSU economists said data reviewed clearly demonstrates that sending clear value signals to producers through premiums for high quality carcasses and discounts for less desired quality has transformed the beef industry.
Last week I learned I'm a 12-percenter, and if you're a Drovers reader it is likely you are a 12-percenter, too. That's not good, at least according to those who would regulate our dietary choices.
Packers narrowed the North-South spread last week and through a series of factors including the weather, have seen the marketing leverage swing in their favor.
America’s beef producers are optimistic about the future, and the state of today’s industry is strong. Those are two highlights from the 2023 Drovers State of the Industry survey and reported in this special section.
Weaker cattle and beef prices were the rule in trading ahead of the long weekend, but this marks the 14th consecutive week negotiated cash prices have traded above $180 per cwt.
Increased adoption of beef on dairy crossbreeding will primarily benefit dairy producers, but other sectors of the beef supply chain stand to benefit as well.
A federal judge in Minnesota dismissed the claims filed by a putative class of cattle ranchers in a long-running case that alleged an industry-wide scheme to fix prices.
Fed cattle trade was called moderate to active in all regions with lower prices. Friday's cattle on feed report saw significant reductions in feedyard placements.
Cattle inventories simply are not large enough for the packer to build any market leverage. Reluctantly, packers bought cattle at steady to higher money and cowboys will seek more this week.
Cash cattle trade was sluggish as feeders and packers dig in their heels. Feeder cattle and calf prices continue marching higher even as drought sends some early-weaned calves to market.
Consumption data are often used to mislead and undermine the beef industry’s accomplishments and disparage the Checkoff. But such data in the absence of price data provides zero information about beef’s competitiveness.
Cattle feeders continue to gain market leverage as packers see pressure from declining wholesale beef prices. Pork producer margins remain solidly in the black.
Cattle feeders were rewarded in last week's standoff with higher prices in all regions. Packers will continue to slow harvest rates in an effort to hold the market in check.
Packers are picking around the edges and dragging their feet when looking at higher asking prices, but the bull market remains in place with the cattle feeder gaining leverage each week.
When buying a 4-H steer or other beef animal from a local producer, how much beef can you expect after processing? Check out these tips to calculate how much meat one beef animal will return.
Cattle feeders focused on helping cattle where they could through last week's extreme heat and humidity. Packers looked to work the market lower, but relatively few cattle changed hands as cattle feeders held firm.
Cattle feeders held firm to higher asking prices and packers continued to wave lower bids with only a few cattle trading hands. Leverage remains in the feeder’s hand as packers must begin filling Labor Day orders soon.
With estimates of 82% capacity utilization of fed beef plants next year and 65% for cow slaughter plants, Nalivka says, “Rest assured - there will be decisions made.”
In the second quarter of 2023, national average carcass quality grades held up especially well considering that carcass weights were 15 to 20 lb. lighter than a year ago in the first quarter.
The sharp increase in feeder cattle prices this year represents a growing market incentive for the beef cattle industry to transition from liquidation to expansion, but it does not appear the industry is responding yet.
There’s a $400 spread between cattle feeding margins and packer margins – now in the cowboy’s favor. Cattle harvest is lower as packers reduce hours, a signal their margins are in the red.
Results from the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit provide insight into the quality and value of cattle on the rail, determining ways the industry might look to improve in the coming years.
Whether futures markets are friend or foe often depends on our understanding of those markets and
whether we can ignore the drama and use facts to make decisions.
Generally, a good week for agriculture with cattle steady to stronger despite a significant rally in the corn market. Packers try to hide their hand, but without inventory they must pay up to keep plants running.
Further discussion about cattle markets leads our columnist to conclude: producers are “prone to have high confidence in unfounded intuitions” and we often derive conclusions based on incomplete information.
Summertime in July means there are often two pasture requirements: shade and reliable water. There is plenty of debate whether shade is required or not in arid parts of the country as well as beyond the pasture setting.
Beef imports will continue to be supported by higher domestic beef prices and the reduction in U.S. processing beef supplies due to reduced cow slaughter.
If there was an industry-wide BOLO system (be on the lookout), packers would have used it this week as they seek to build an inventory of market-ready cattle to fill their post-July 4th needs.
