Hog Production
On a percentage basis, beef packer margins declined significantly last week. It’s all relative, of course, since the starting point from the previous week was stunning.
Modest increases in cash prices for cattle and hogs helped boost average feeding profit margins the final week of February, while margins for beef and pork packers declined.
Lower average cattle prices last week cut average feedyard margins by $43 per head last week, while pork producers saw a $5 per head increase in average margins.
Cattle feeding margins improved with a $2 per cwt. increase in cash cattle prices while farrow-to-finish hog margins declined modestly on slightly lower lean carcass prices.
Both cattle and hog finishing estimated margins were positive last week despite rising feed costs across both enterprises. Cattle slaughter totals increased while hog processing numbers were near steady.
Average feed costs for finishing cattle and hogs are 25% to 28% higher than the same week last year, according to Sterling Marketing’s weekly calculations.
It’s one thing to tell students about livestock production; it’s another thing to show them. Here’s why one Iowa school is turning heads and opening people’s eyes to the opportunities in livestock production.
JBS USA is ending contracts with a U.S. company fined for hiring kids to clean meat plants, the unit of Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA said on Monday, adding it is bringing the work in-house at some facilities.
Market participants seem to be more focused on the day-to-day trading in the spot meat/livestock markets, and the short-term impact from weather events, Steiner Consulting says.
After seeing a controversial Facebook post with two photos of ground beef that differed in appearance for many reasons, Dr. Chad Carr speaks up about why it’s great to have your own opinion, but not your own facts.
In a world of competition, there is value in U.S. agriculture producers finding ways to work together in search for separate, yet common goals.
With the industry becoming increasingly more digital, is your farm’s electronic data protected and computer systems secure?
If we get it right, agriculture can, in fact, save the planet, said Jack Bobo, CEO of Futurity, during the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2022 Stakeholders Summit in Kansas City.
Frequently appearing in antitrust allegations of price fixation, JBS faces lawsuit by Arkansas pig farmer for breaching pig production contract and failing to pay for animals.
The European Union considers applying their health and environmental standards to all imported agricultural and food products. USMEF’s Cheyenne McEndaffer expresses her opposition of the idea.
Precedent-setting mandates are coming at ag from all angles, undermining freedom of farmers. These regulations aren’t based on science. They aren’t based on experience. Many argue they aren’t based on a shred of truth.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., consumers faced unknown territory in the meat industry that raised questions of resiliency. Since then, consumers have helped drive changes to the pork industry with their dollar.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended through Feb. 28, 2022, an emergency declaration offering regularity relief for drivers who are hauling livestock and livestock feed, among other supplies.
Oetting Homestead Farms of Concordia, Missouri, located in Lafayette County, has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Missouri Leopold Conservation Award®.
Our world needs animal protein more than ever before. Access and affordability of healthier foods continues to be a challenge around the globe. NPPC’s Jen Sorenson advocates for animal protein at the Borlaug Dialogue.
U.S. agricultural organizations prepared for the UN Food Systems Summit with significant caution, due to concerns that it could generate undue criticism of animal ag and downplay the benefits of animal proteins.
In a letter to Ag Sec. Tom Vilsack, the North American Meat Institute asks the administration to stop ignoring “fundamental principles of supply and demand” and acknowledge industry structure is not causing inflation.
Steer, cow and hog by-product values have each reached their highest level in nearly six years. Steer hide and offal values are nearly double last year’s price and 43.5% higher than the five-year average.
Dean Meyer depends on red meat exports in more ways than one. On his farm near Rock Rapids, Iowa, he grows corn, soybeans, cattle and hogs. A new study backs up why red meat exports help corn and soybean farmers.
CoBank says challenges brought on by COVID-19 will speed up automation throughout many sectors of the supply chain. Here’s a deeper look at the animal protein industries in CoBank’s latest report.
Pork export value exceeded $800 million for the first time in May, while beef exports recorded the third consecutive month of value record highs, driven in part by record-large exports to South Korea.
Senators John Hoeven and Michael Bennet reintroduced the Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Device regulations at the U.S. DOT.
For a fifth year, the White House is publicly recognizing March 23, 2021, as National Ag Day. As part of the proclamation, the White House salutes farmers and ranchers for the contributions they continue to make.
During USDA’s 97th Agricultural Outlook Forum, USDA chief economist Seth Meyer provided insight into what the livestock and poultry sectors can expect in 2021.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, a farmer and businessman from southeast Iowa came up with an idea that has now grown into an expanding online marketplace known as ChopLocal.