Marketing-Communications
Consumer demand for livestock products continues to be important in determining the pressure on livestock prices in the coming months.
The summer months have resulted in softer prices for wholesale beef, finished cattle, feeder cattle, calves and slaughter cows.
The nation’s beef cow herd has started down the path of the largest expansion in 25 years.
The semiannual cattle inventory report from USDA confirmed that beef cow expansion is continuing.
Beef and fed cattle prices drop from last week.
Beef imports are up, while exports have fallen.
Live cattle prices were up $2 to $3 from the previous week.
Cattle prices fall, while beef prices improve.
Grilling season tends to bring on high beef prices, and this May was record breaker.
Cattle prices are up from last week, but aren’t as strong as earlier prices this year.
The May WASDE gave its first forecast of 2016 beef production and prices.
The combination of substantial $/cwt changes in cattle market prices since the start of this year coupled with the sheer amount of money at stake in each managerial and marketing decision continues to magnify producer interest in current information regarding supply and demand fundamentals.
After experiencing the market trend upward seemingly every week of 2014, cattle producers should be prepared for a little more normal market pattern in 2015.
U.S. beef exports were down 6.6% in March. It was the sixth consecutive month with exports lower than last year.
USDA’s April cattle on feed report said the number of steers on feed was up 5.4% at the start of April while the number of heifers in large feedlots was down 10.1%.
All market classes of beef cattle are at record high levels for this time of the year, but are lower than the all-time record highs established in the last half of 2014.
Cattle prices are expected to moderate this year but still remain higher than average.
It may be likely that the spring calf market has peaked.
Retail beef prices were record high for the third consecutive month during February.
Beef’s getting better, to judge by the uptrend in quality grades and resurgent consumer demand. However, an increasing share of that demand has been for ground beef – and an average pound of that versatile staple now sells for more than $4.
Cattle prices have set records for the past five years in a row, and that has increased prices at the meat case, says University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Ron Plain.
Beef prices went down while cattle prices rebounded.
Winter weather has been a factor in beef and cattle prices lately, but it didn’t keep the market down for boxed beef this week.
The past week of poor weather has kept the beef market downs.
Expansion of the beef herd looks to continue while beef production will see a marginal slide.