Feed Prices

Drovers Round Up: Feedstuff Finder, Royal Scholars, Beef Center Hire and New Docility EPD

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:46:56 GMT

Free Feedstuff Finder Tool Helps Buyers and Sellers

U.S. farmers and ranchers have a free, easy-to-use tool from University of Missouri Extension to help them buy or sell hay and other feedstuffs.

Feedstuff Finder gives users a quick, simple way to calculate a delivered feedstuff cost from a seller so buyers can determine the true cost of their feedstuff. Users can apply filters to easily compare costs and sort out various feedstuffs.

Producers do not have to set up an account to use the free web-based tool. It was designed to help buyers find and cost calculate feedstuffs and provide a market for sellers.

Other features include:

Nutritional information to help determine value of feeds
Delivery cost calculations
Ability to source and price bulk grain byproduct feeds
Offers current market value for feedstuffs

American Royal Announces 2025 Royal Scholars

The 2025 class of Royal Scholars has been selected to represent the American Royal’s mission and advocate for the agriculture industry throughout the next year.

These 10 recipients, who are studying agriculture, food or natural resources, will each receive a $3,000 scholarship. They were selected from 166 candidates from 29 states, representing 40 colleges and universities.

The 2025 Royal Scholars are:

Dalton “Drew” Blanton of Plant City, Fla., majoring in Food and Resource Economics and minoring in Agricultural and Natural Resource Law at the University of Florida
Samantha Bonifas of Roseland, Neb., majoring in Agricultural Economics and minoring in Pre-Law at Kansas State University
Bailey Boyd of Turpin, Okla., majoring in Agricultural Education at Oklahoma State University
Rayleigh Carter of Marianna, Fla., majoring in Agribusiness and minoring in Energy Finance & Ethical Leadership at Oklahoma State University
Makenna Garrett of Bedford, Va., majoring in Plant and Soil Sciences and minoring in Environmental Economics and Politics and Policy and Agronomy at Oklahoma State University
Sarah Liepold of Arvada, Colo., majoring in Agricultural Business at the University of Wyoming
Mackenzie Malson of Parma, Idaho, majoring in Agriculture Economics and Global Food Systems Leadership and minoring in International Agriculture and Communications and Education for Agriculture at Kansas State University
Kamille Mirkin of Jerome, Idaho, majoring in Agricultural Economics and minoring in Ag Commodity Risk Management and Animal Veterinary Science at the University of Idaho
Elizabeth Schafer of Owaneco, Ill., majoring in Animal Science and minoring in Agriculture Communications at Kansas State University
Kylie Temple of Hermiston, Ore., majoring in Agribusiness and Applied Economics and minoring in Global Food System Leadership at Kansas State University

The 2025 Royal Scholars will represent the American Royal at events such as the American Royal Livestock Show, Youth Rodeo and Spring Field Trip, as well as attending business and industry visits around the Kansas City area.

Iowa Beef Center Director Names New Director

Aimee Wertz-Lutz is the new Iowa Beef Center director and Iowa State University extension feedlot specialist .

She brings both academic and industry experience to the position. Wertz-Lutz did her post-doctoral research in ruminant nutrition and nutritional physiology at Iowa State, followed by serving as a faculty member in the animal and range sciences department at South Dakota State University. She worked for ADM Animal Nutrition as a manager of ruminant nutrition research, then most recently as ruminant nutritionist for Devenish Nutrition (North America.)

Wertz Lutz says academically she asks ‘what if’ questions and seeks the answers that propel the industry forward. Her industry experience helps her assess what is the best technology available to date to address a problem then make a decision that balances the optimal path for production and economic soundness.

She says the beef industry needs to identify production factors that are fiscally sustainable, and resource and waste management practices that are efficient and sustainable.

“Generational sustainability will require a focus on the emerging generations of animal science students without an agricultural or farming background,” she adds.

As a nutritionist by training, Wertz-Lutz is drawn to impacts of nutrition from calf to packer.

American-International Charolais Association Introduces Docility EPD

The American-International Charolais Association launched a Docility EPD, which gives Charolais breeders and bull buyers a new tool to select for calmer, more manageable cattle.

AICA shares that docility is measurable and heritable. The new genetic tool aims to help with safer handling. It positively correlates with traits like yearling weight to improve performance and adds value to every step of the supply chain.

The Beef Improvement Federation recommends evaluating docility on a scale of 1-6 ranging from docile to very aggressive.

Learn more about this new genetic evaluation tool.

New $20 Million Feed Mill Expansion Unveiled in Idaho

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:34:21 GMT

Beef and dairy producers throughout Idaho may soon be receiving steamflaked corn and calf grains from a newly expanded feed facility in the state. Scoular, a global agribusiness company based out of Nebraska, recently completed a $20 million expansion of its state-of-the-art feed blending facility located in Jerome, Idaho.

According to the company, the expansion adds a 120-feet high concrete feed mill, boosting the facility’s production capacity by 35% and delivers a 40% increase in storage capacity.

“Scoular’s mission is to deliver safe, reliable and innovative solutions to our feed and food customers around the world,” Scoular CEO, Paul Maass, said in a company. “This new investment is a perfect example of meeting our customers’ demands and bringing forward the ideal solutions. We are thrilled to continue to make growth investments in this important region and industry.”

Updates to the facility will help provide two new capabilities, including:

A steamflaking process that processes corn and barley into flakes and makes the feed more digestible for cattle. The corn is steamed, heated, then pressed into a flake.
A pellet mill to make feed pellets. Pellets are easy to transfer, handle and proportion for optimal nutrition. Feed pellets are typically used for feeding calves and beef cattle.

“The expansion shows Scoular’s customer-focused approach,” said Jeff Ackerman of Bettencourt Dairies. “Scoular is helping us provide the right nutritional profile to the animal at the right time. Tailor-made feed blends are essential.”

As the dairy sector continues to grow in the state, this expansion will provide both beef and dairy producers with an additional resource for purchasing feed.

“To see a company like Scoular expand means good news for producers,” added Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. “It gives producers more options for how they want to handle feed on their farms.”

This expansion not only provides more choices for producers but also reinforces Scoular’s commitment to bolstering the local agricultural community.

“Agriculture drives the Magic Valley’s economy, and Scoular has made it a priority to support the industry through innovation, state-of-the-art facilities and programs that support local producers,” said Andy Hohwieler, a Scoular Regional Manager based in Twin Falls. “With our latest investment, we look forward to creating new feed products that create solutions for end-users.”

Your Next Read: Beef-on-Dairy: How to Make Successful Semen Selection Strategies

Global Feed Production Takes a Dip

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 20:04:07 GMT

There was 0.2% less animal feed grown in 2023 compared to 2022, according to the 2024 Agri-Food Outlook Report published by Alltech.

Alltech analysts estimated that global feed tonnage produced worldwide dropped by 2.6 million metric tons last year. The report attributed this decline to a drop in feed demand. It was fueled by:

More efficient use of feed in livestock operations.
Tight margins in food-animal production, causing a slowdown in the overall production of animal protein.
Changing food consumption patterns, caused by inflation and dietary trends.
Geopolitical tensions around the globe.

The greatest reduction in feed production occurred in Europe and North America. The largest growth was seen in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by Latin America, Africa, and Oceania.

The top-5 feed producing countries were unchanged: (1) China; (2) United States; (3) Brazil; (4) India; and (5) Mexico.

Compared to all feed production, the global dairy industry showed a 10-fold reduction, down 2.28% in the past year. High feed costs and low milk prices pushed dairy farmers to trim back cow numbers and seek less-costly, non-commercial feed sources. The report noted European dairy farmers continue to grapple with stricter environmental policies as they try to keep their businesses viable.

The only part of the world that saw growth in dairy feed production was the Asia-Pacific region. There, consumers are more widely embracing dairy products, and feed production in cooperatives is expanding.

Alltech’s annual feed survey encompasses data from 142 countries and more than 27,000 feed mills worldwide.

For more on nutrition, read:

Leading Experts Offer Beef Demand Insights

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 14:15:38 GMT

Mike Simone, Executive Director of market Research and Intelligence with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says high beef prices are here to stay for a while for several reasons.

“Demand has been incredibly robust,” he stated on a recent PDPW Dairy Signal webinar, sharing that the persistent drought out west, which has recovered somewhat in some places with spring and early summer rains, but has impacted the overall reductions in the beef cattle herd.

“Reductions in the cattle herd has been a key factor in that high input cost for producers across the board,” he says. “This doesn’t have a real sense of that turning around quickly and producers have been quick to rebuild the herd.”

Brandon Scholtz, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association, shared with the PDPW audience that the pandemic impacted prices and the supply chain. And consumers reacted.

“When we were dealing with COVID, beef prices were probably the prices to first start going up,” he says, sharing that grocery stores now promote family meals and cookouts, including meat, especially during the summer months.

“There was all sorts of social media promoting family. You see grocery stores recommending what to use for tailgates and barbecuing,” he shares, adding that consumers have traded down on certain types of cuts or even potentially traded out on protein options.

Future Consumer Insights

Simone says he never worried about the supply chain issues.

“We never thought twice about it,” he says. “We put our order in the stock, and it showed up. All of a sudden there was a pandemic and everybody’s talking about this. We know the workforce was productive. That was the big thing that drove everything, and it still does.”

Scholtz shares research is predicting that consumers are planning to dine out less in the coming months.

“They’re looking for deals or clipping coupons or shopping sales, they’re shopping multiple stores,” he explains. “We’ve continued to see people say they’re stocking up and freezing more and raising more beef and also finding more ways to deal with leftovers.”

Simone notes that he sees a continued collaboration with the grocery stores, as they give their customers suggestions on how to use beef.

“It used to be just a couple of recipes on the website, but it has grown significantly more than that too. I think there’s a lot of really positive stuff on social media in terms of how to incorporate beef and or other proteins into your diet, events, and recipes. You see so much creative stuff out there. And again, it comes out of people’s desire to try and make the most out of what they can get and how to kind of manage a price increase.”

To listen to the entire conversation of the Dairy Signal Beef Demand Insights click here:

Beef Demand Insights (mediasiteconnect.com)

Check out These Beef on Dairy Stories:

Premium Alfalfa Hay Delivered by Amazon Prime

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 16:37:12 GMT

According to EarthWeb, Amazon reports that its Prime version had more than 200 million members in 22 countries in April 2021. From accessories to clothing to toiletries, households can get just about anything with one click through their Amazon app.

Dairy farmer, Steve Maddox knew his wife loved Amazon. Recently he also found a newfound love, as he began utilizing their shipping service. Earlier this month, an Amazon Prime truck hauled premium alfalfa dairy hay from his Logan, Utah hay ranch to his Riverdale, Calif. dairy farm.

Amazon worked with a dispatcher who then was able to fill the truck with Maddox’s milk cow alfalfa hay. Although, the load of hay didn’t qualify for free shipping.

“Amazon Prime back hauled 21 tons of hay from our hay ranch to our dairy,” Maddox shares. “The cost of shipping was $1,250.”

He says his hay trucking cost is down from its peak in December 2021, at around $2,000, but up considerably from 8 years ago.

“The cost of trucking from Utah to California back then was between $900 to $1,000,” he says.

Maddox Dairy milks 4,000 cows, with an equal number of heifers, and farms 1,600 acres of almonds and 3,00 acres of wine grapes, as well as cropland to supply feed for their cattle.

According to Maddox, Amazon Prime has many orders heading east but lacks loads coming west.

“They look to backhaul,” he shares.

Delivered in a straight truck, Maddox says they use a forklift and a ramp to underload the 1,400 lb. bales.

(Farm Journal)

“We have 2,500 tons of hay that will get moved from Utah to California,” Maddox says. “That is 120 loads that are trucked from June to the first part of November. Sometimes we will store the hay in Utah and move it west when we need it.”

Amazon is known for its quick deliveries and when the big semi-truck showed up, Maddox didn’t question what his wife had ordered and realized there are many benefits to holding a Prime membership.

Expect Tight Hay Supplies, Higher Prices

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:40:19 GMT

Nearly 65% of pasture and range conditions in the Great Plains states require supplemental feeding. That’s after grazing conditions have improved marginally in some areas after late-season rainfall.

The drought is pushing hay prices higher, and alfalfa prices reached $201 per ton with other hay topping $151 per ton, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) July prices data report. NASS reports show hay yields are expected to be smaller, with alfalfa yields down nearly 10% combined with an acreage loss of 100,000 acres. Other hay yields are estimated to be down 2.5% on about 600,000 fewer acres.

The Livestock Marketing Information Project, Denver, says the combination of smaller yields and fewer acres will produce another year of higher U.S. hay prices. Alfalfa yields are taking the largest yield declines in Northern tier states: North Dakota, Montana, Washington all showed significant declines. Production data indicates that production losses in these three states total 3.2 million tons less than last year, a 35% loss, LMIC says.

Other hay yields were more sporadic in their declines. Among northern tier states Idaho, South Dakota, and North Dakota had large declines. These states production data show a loss of 1.6 million tons from a year ago. LMIC says these production estimates are based on the August yield estimates released by USDA NASS and will be revised as more data is gathered in the coming months.

At the beginning of the U.S. marketing year on May 1, hay stocks were down 12%, and usage has continued to be high due to the drought. The outlook for hay prices will continue elevated for the remainder of this year and are very likely to be higher next year. Livestock Marketing Information Center is forecasting a season average price of over $200 per ton this year for alfalfa and just under $200 per ton next year for the national average.

Other hay prices are expected to remain in the high $140s per ton for this year and next.

Rising Feed Costs Challenge Cattle And Hog Producers

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 18:32:05 GMT

The U.S. animal protein sector will see 12% higher feed costs in 2021 due to higher corn and soybean meal prices, according to a new report from CoBank . If realized, it would be the highest year-over-year inflation in feed costs since 2011.

The analysis from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division, says U.S. livestock and poultry producers will fact more feed cost inflation next year than at any time in the last decade, “challenging their ability to recover after a difficult and volatile 2020.”

CoBank, part of the US Farm Credit System, provides loans and financial services to cooperatives, agribusinesses, rural public utilities and other farm credit associations, who collectively own CoBank. The analysis was authored by Will Sawyer, lead animal protein economist with CoBank.

The report notes feed costs have been relatively flat since 2012, helping the beef, pork and poultry sectors to expand more from 2014 to 2019 than in any five-year period in the industry’s history.

“China is rebuilding its pork supply after ASF decimated its hog herd, leading to a surge in U.S. grain exports and prices,” Sawyer wrote. “La Nina also threatens grain and oilseed crop prospects in South America and Eastern Europe.”

Average producer margins for cattle, hogs and broilers fell into negative territory in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted foodservice demand and drove widespread meat plant slowdowns and shutdowns, the report notes.

“Hopes for a substantial rebound in profitability for meat and poultry producers and processors in 2021 will be difficult to come by with corn and soybean meal prices at multi-year highs,” Sawyer wrote.

The report says that with corn futures above $4 per bushel and soybean meal futures around $350 per ton, cattle feeders, hog producers and chicken producers will pay higher prices for feed than they have in many years.

“The higher feed costs come at a challenging time, as meat and poultry industry margins have been pressured by weak prices in 2020 due to COVID-19. Average producer margins for cattle, hogs and broilers fell into negative territory this year after the pandemic disrupted foodservice demand and drove widespread meat plant slowdowns and shutdowns,” Sawyer said. “Most producers lost money during the year, but that’s been in the midst of some of the most extreme volatility in global food demand anyone has ever seen. Industry margins are far better today than they were in the spring, but there will be tighter windows of opportunity for the livestock and poultry sectors to profit in 2021.”

CoBank says feed price increases are drive by Chinese demand for grain as is seeks to rebuild its hog herd following the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak decimated its herd by 50% of the past two years. USDA forecasts China’s corn imports to more than triple in the 2020-21 crop year, with much of that increase coming from the U.S.

China’s shortage of animal protein has drawn massive trade flows towards the world’s most populous country. Since the ASF outbreak in late 2018, China has been the largest importer globally of beef and pork, and nearly surpassed Japan in poultry imports. While China’s protein imports are expected to decline a modest 3% in 2021, CoBank economists anticipate those imports will fall more sharply in the years to follow.

According to CoBank, in 2021, U.S. hog producers are expected to face the highest level of feed cost inflation at 14%, closely followed by cattle feeders at 13%, and chicken producers at 11%. The impact of feed costs varies by species for several reasons, such as life cycle, feed ration, and components of other feed costs.

With rising feed costs, meat and poultry supply growth is expected to slow in 2021. USDA forecasts 0.8% overall growth for U.S. beef, pork, and chicken production in the coming year, the slowest rate of supply growth since 2014.

“While animal protein and poultry producers face a higher cost structure in 2021, margin opportunity will increasingly come from revenue rather than cost,” said Sawyer. “And fortunately, there are positive signs that producers and processors may benefit from higher beef, pork, and poultry prices to cushion higher feed costs.”

Sawyer points to the emergence of COVID-19 vaccines as a positive first step towards the eventual normalization of food and animal protein consumption patterns, including the return of foodservice industry demand. Additionally, changes by major meat and poultry processors greatly reduce the probability of a repeat experience seen in April and May 2020.

CoBank estimates U.S. meat and poultry companies have invested more than $2.5 billion this year in direct COVID-19 expenses to ensure safe working conditions and reduced risk of plant shutdowns. With plants operating at a more normal level, absenteeism levels improving, and far fewer workers falling ill, the financial impact of COVID-19 looks to be far less in the coming year than what the industry has endured in 2020.