Latest News From MARKETS

Supply chain issues are becoming one of the biggest concerns for agriculture, and some economists say as the bottlenecks reach a critical point, it could take at least a year to remedy chaos in the global supply chain.

CNH Industrial announced this week its temporarily shutting down several of its European manufacturing plants that produce agricultural equipment. CNH says it plans to shut down the facilities for eight days this month.

China said on Saturday it pressed the United States to eliminate tariffs in talks between the countries' top trade officials that Washington saw as a test of bilateral engagement between the world's biggest economies.

As backlogs at U.S. ports and climbing shipping rates plague the supply chain, new data shows container shipping rates between the U.S and China are dropping by more than 50% in  just a month. 

Dr. Pat Westhoff joins AgriTalk’s Chip Flory to share his spin on the latest trends in crop markets, livestock outlooks and projections for net farm income.

The senator supports legislative action because of concerns that small producers are losing money on cattle due to being unable to spot market.

The dollars tagged for such purposes are part of the Build Back Better program, the Biden administration’s COVID-19 relief plan.

An unprecedented meeting held in May among major cattle industry representatives, typically at odds, has produced plans for change and calls for answers from U.S. lawmakers. Keep up with the latest on this page.

An unprecedented meeting held early this month among major cattle industry representatives has now produced plans for change. It's happening while a group of U.S. lawmakers are also asking the DOJ for answers.

The more than $900 margin between producers and packers has the largest industry representatives, that are typically at odds, working together.

Dry weather and poorly timed planting are weighing on Brazil's second corn crop this year, reviving fears of another surge in feed prices like the one that battered big meatpackers after a 2016 drought.

In just a few buck-wild months in 2015, a Texas grifter pulled off a swindle nearing $100M, and turned the cattle industry into his playground, stirring more cash than some of the largest beef companies in the U.S.

A tradition for more than 100 years will now be a thing of the past. The CME Group announced this week it's not reopening the open outcry pits on the trading floor, which means the tradition will be gone for good.

U.S. data shows COVID-19 infection rates are now down to levels not seen since early fall, a sign economic recovery could also take shape. As more consumers venture out to restaurants, it could also help meat demand.

USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum painted a brighter forecast for corn demand this year. While USDA does expect a 7% increase in production, the agency is also forecasting an increase in domestic use, as well as exports.

The USDA February WASDE report released Tuesday revealed expectations for higher beef production this year, a projection the agency says is driven by beefed up cattle slaughter and heavier weights.

With the run-up in stock prices for GameStop, AMC and others, could corn, soybeans or cattle be next? Listen to what Tommy Grisafi of Advance Trading had to say about it on U.S. Farm Report this weekend.

U.S. farmers are facing a changing scenario this year. From wet conditions impeding planting in 2020, to now drought concerns creeping in, one analyst thinks weather could be a major market mover in 2021.

Driven by higher estimates for pork, the China total meat import forecasts were revised up for both 2020 and 2021, according to the USDA Livestock and Poultry World Markets and Trade report.

As China builds its domestic stocks of protein like pork, there are fears the country may view its supplies as ample in the second half of 2021. That could put more pressure on domestic demand to carry prices.

Disruptions to the beef industry from the COVID-19 pandemic will likely linger into 2021, but the result may not be all bad for producers, Don Close, animal protein analyst at Rabo AgriFinance told AgriTalk.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has said that he will not immediately act to remove the Phase 1 trade agreement, which President Donald Trump inked with China, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

COVID-19 outbreaks are increasing governments' food-security concerns, and importers need U.S. corn and soybeans for the first time in a long time to meet demand.

China has suspended imports from an OK Foods poultry plant in Fort Smith, Arkansas, because of coronavirus cases among workers, the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said on Tuesday.

“If you can work through some of these bigger weights, later on down the road, some of the replacement numbers we saw in there in the springtime and early summer timeframe would end up coming to pass,” says Bennett.

Cattle futures closed mostly higher for the third consecutive trading session Friday. According to Pro Farmer, August live cattle settled unchanged, while deferred contracts posted modest price gains Friday.

Even though some Midwestern areas aren’t back to normalcy yet, some analysts believe meat demand will be strong.

Brazilian labor prosecutors are suing meatpacker JBS SA seeking damages and better work conditions after an outbreak of the novel coronavirus at a meat plant in Ipumirim, in the southern state of Santa Catarina.

COVID-19, freeze risks, USDA report and government influence on agriculture are all weighing on the markets this week.

CoBank estimates meat supplies at grocery stores could shrink nearly 30% by Memorial Day, leading to prices rising by as much as 20%. Some cattle producers say they are barely hanging on due to futures prices.  

The latest shock to the industry is the daily boxed beef price. On Thursday, it hit a record of $364.62. That is a jump of $30 over Wednesday, a two-thirds increase from the lows in February.

U.S. hog and live cattle futures eased on Wednesday, with the cash market for the animals weak as processing plants were forced to shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak, traders said.

The cattle market has been dynamic over the last couple of weeks. Consumers have been hoarding meat due to COVID-19 while the futures and cash prices are not necessarily reflecting it.

Estimated cattle industry losses due to COVID-19 will reach $13.6 billion, according to a study by ag economists conducted to assist USDA in determining how best to allocate CARES Act relief funds to cattle producers.

Producers watch to see if retail beef demand will continue its slow decline as consumers’ freezers are now packed with meat. There’s a discussion on market manipulation and if there’s a need for an investigation.

The hog herd is expanding. That’s according to the USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report. Numbers are increasing in all categories compared to one year ago. How expansion continues amid COVID-19 is anyone’s guess.

Michigan is under a stay-at-home order in an effort to fight the coronavirus. However, farm work must go on and it is business as usual for many operations.

Fears of the coronavirus continue to haunt the stock market despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to calm it. Live cattle prices have dropped to numbers producers and traders haven’t seen in nearly a decade.

AgDay visited a feeder cattle auction at the Shipshewana Trading Place in Shipshewana, Indiana to find out what prices were like there to kick off 2020.

Earlier at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue addressed the scare of the coronavirus to the beef industry. It still remains a threat today.

USDA’s Cattle Report shows the expansion stage is coming to an end. The total inventory as of January 1 is 94.4 million head, down slightly from 94.8 million head a year ago. It’s not a surprise to industry.

The Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show took place last week in San Antonio, Texas. AgDay took the show on the road for a special edition of the newscast.

Dive into the headwinds and tailwinds for the four major crops so you can smartly plan your 2020 production and marketing decisions.

The Dow Jones fell after topping the 29,000 mark Friday. However, some market analysts say a climbing stock market may mean more money in the cattle markets.

Increased slaughter of cows and heifers in 2019 means fewer feeder cattle in 2020, leading analysts to project an uptick in prices for all classes in 2020.

Here is your weekly grain and livestock market outlook and review for Nov. 25 from the economic experts at Doane Advisory Services.

African swine fever (ASF) could be the biggest event in animal protein for years, as the devastating disease spreads beyond China’s borders.

How a single packing plant fire shook up the cattle markets.

China has been buying a lot of U.S. pork recently. Yet, the hog market may not see as big of a boost as what producers want with the news. Tyne Morgan discusses why, in this AgDay analysis.

Strong global, domestic demand provides a bright spot for U.S. grain.