King Ranch has acquired a 50% stake in Cobalt Cattle, the nation’s fourth-largest cattle feeding operation with six feedyards in Colorado, Kansas and Texas.
NCBA spearheaded introduction of the larger HAULS Act in both the Senate and House, and worked to get the backend 150 air-mile exemption included in the Surface Transportation Investment Act.
Beef exports represent a wide range of product types and qualities exported to various markets and augment domestic beef demand by providing markets for products less desired in the U.S.
Cattle trades continued in a familiar pattern last week with prices steady to somewhat firmer late week. Feeders keep working to clean up backlog cattle.
JBS USA said it paid an $11 million ransom to cyber attackers that shut down operations in the U.S. and Australia last week. All plants were fully operational by June 3.
Gregory Bloom, CEO and owner of U.S. Protein, shares his perspectives on the cattle market based on experience as a cattle buyer, meat seller and working with chefs and restaurants.
After a year of virtual events, the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand will host the 16th annual Feeding Quality Forum in Fort Collins, Colo., August 24-25.
Foot rot can occur in cattle of all ages, and cases are often seen in wet and humid conditions, but can also occur when it is hot and dry when cattle congregate together.
Cash fed cattle traded at steady prices for the third consecutive week. Wholesale beef prices continued their advance, sparked by smaller than expect cattle slaughter early in the week due to the cyberattack at JBS.
The fed cattle trade last week continued down the same path that we have seen for several weeks. The upcoming weather forecast of hot weather will not be helpful for the backed-up cattle supply.
Black swan events are always possible, but with a little luck, cattle markets will settle back into more typical dynamics and we can get a break from the action-adventure roller coaster of the past two years.
NCBA led a letter with the support of 37 affiliate state cattle organizations, urging the leadership of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry.
Agricultural Marketing Service reporters called demand for feeder cattle and calves “good to very good.” Last week’s fed cattle traded at mostly steady prices on moderate demand.
Cash prices held mostly steady last week, which could be a sign packers are beginning to get through some of the committed cattle and be in the market to buy more cash cattle from independent cattle feeders.
To thrive in the environments beef producers have created for them, cattle must have access to basic cattle health and welfare. Among them, the ability to perform natural behaviors.
Weekly slaughter head counts are key data points gauging feedyard currentness and record boxed beef values this spring. Outcomes in those two, while both dependent on slaughter rate, are working at odds with each other.
Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program has released the annual 2020 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities report.
The fallout continues from a ghost-cattle scheme as Rabo AgriFinance filed suit in federal court seeking to foreclose on Easterday family assets that have been in default for months.
Feeder cattle sold high on good to moderate demand last week. CME live cattle traded lower following Friday's cattle on feed report, while feeder futures were modestly higher.
The feedlot situation is improving but it will take additional time to process current feedlot supplies and the stress and challenges at the packing level will slow the process for at least several more weeks.
The impact of cattle market discrepancies are being felt by consumers and gaining the attention of lawmakers outside traditional farm-states. New reporting suggests USDA may be considering regulatory action.
Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson led a bicameral letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging the DOJ to move forward with its investigation into anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry.
Cash fed cattle traded at modestly higher prices this week in light to moderate volumes. Wholesale beef prices continued pushing higher, and cattle futures prices fizzled with Thursday's losses.
Cattle prices held steady last week, but packer margins continue climbing in the greatest squeeze on cattlemen in memory without the influence of a specific black swan event. Pork producers are experiencing euphoria.
Expanding drought across the Central Plains becomes increasingly evident in cattle markets. Stocker and feeder cattle sold lower last week, even as demand for grazing cattle was called good in parts of the NC region.
Many independent feeders are finding themselves fighting the same issues this year as they faced last year, yet feed costs are more than double what the were last year.
The cyclical expansion in cattle numbers from 2014 to 2019 has now pushed cattle slaughter beyond packing industry capacity. It is estimated that annual average slaughter has exceeded capacity since 2016.
Production Animal Consultation and Midwest PMS will host a series of workshop training events in Kansas and Nebraska during the month of June for feedyard managers and employees.
When was the last time you considered a subtractive approach? Not just cutting feed or input costs but an enterprise evaluation to ensure your time is optimized.
Beef may be in high demand but cattle prices struggle to hold steady. Fed cattle slipped $1 to $2 lower last week and auction prices for feeder cattle fell $1 to $5 lower, AMS reporters said.
Ample supplies of fed cattle continue to hang over the market as feedlots struggle to get more current. Beef packers have very large margins and appear to be trying to push kills in the face of limited capacity.
Last week only two days of harvest were considered cash trade. This lack of cash trade should give a clear indication that the corporate or “turn in” cattle are influencing the quick decline in the market.
Since the beginning of March, any year-over-year comparison of cattle slaughter and feedlot inventory flow has been interesting given the distortions in the flow of cattle resulting from COVID plant slowdowns last year
Cash fed cattle prices were lower $1 to $2/cwt. last week, arriving at an average just below $121/cwt. Futures weakness brought prices lower, despite the severe upward trajectory of carcass cutout values.
The extended rally in lean hog carcass prices continues and farrow-to-finish hog operations are profitable for the 12th consecutive month. Cattle feeders saw prices slip off of recent highs.
April's USDA Cattle on Feed report requires careful interpretation. The typical year-to-year comparisons are mostly meaningless because of the pandemic disruptions affecting markets one year ago.
Negotiated cash cattle slipped $1 to $2 lower last week, yet wholesale beef prices marched higher. USDA's cattle on feed report found aggressive March placements.
Cattle and hog feeding operations are experiencing the highest market prices since before the pandemic began more than a year ago. Hog margins were positive for the 11th consecutive week.
Cash cattle traded in light to moderate volumes last week, with the strongest prices in the North. Wholesale beef prices continued marching higher as demand continues strong.
One Kansas packing plant sat idle half the week for maintenance while others were reluctant bidders, leaving feeders with more cattle than available shackle space.
NCBA endorsed the Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act of 2021. Introduced in the House by Rep. Rose and Rep. Soto, the bipartisan bill would deliver much-needed flexibility for livestock haulers.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has effectively hung a “welcome” sign out encouraging radical activist groups to make mischief in his state and torment ranchers. The first salvo is called the PAUSE Act.
Demand for spring and summer grazing cattle remains high with prices reflecting good buyer competition. Agricultural Marketing Service reporters called last week’s prices for steers and heifers steady to $4 higher.
The spring rally in negotiated cash cattle prices continued last week as trade in the South developed early in the week with packers more aggressive than in recent weeks.
