Latest News From Cattle Pricing

The set of products included in total by-product values is quite varied and includes edible offals, inedible offals, meat. bone and blood meal, edible and inedible tallow, hides, and pharmaceutical products.

The reliability of marbling is making a difference – and cattle feeders are taking advantage. With real dollars at stake, more cattle are committed to negotiated sales and betting on the grid is paying off.

Even with strong demand and historically high prices for calves and feeder cattle this winter, the Hereford and Hereford-influenced sale at Mitchell Livestock Marketing in South Dakota Feb. 15 was a head-turner.

Imports and exports [both product and cattle] create value and provide opportunity for all trading partners, thereby underpinning the reason international trade exists. A review of data confirming the value of trade.

Following up on a recent column, Nevil Speer reports on the advice from a seasoned grain analyst: Three things that you should do for success in 2024, plus, four things NOT to do. Remember, it's "you versus you."

The beef market is set to rapidly adjust to changes in consumer buying habits. This removes demand pressure from ribs and tenderloins, realigning the contribution of those cuts to a smaller percentage of carcass value.

The most important thing largely revolves around our perspective, and subsequent management, of risk (or lack thereof). Eleven essential tips for risk management.

For cow-calf producers, fall is often a time for preconditioning, weaning and marketing calves. While prices will likely be towards the top end this year, could you still be leaving money on the table?

With cattle prices strong, serious inventory issues continue as the USDA is set to release the newest cattle on feed report on Oct. 20. Here's what experts are saying about the upcoming report and herd expansion.

Cattle prices have responded to lower cattle inventory. Yet, with increasing costs of maintaining a cow, producers may wonder: to increase revenue in 2023, is it worth retaining or backgrounding calves?

Both live and feeder cattle futures hit record highs this week as a function of historically tight supplies. Yet, the question remains—how long could these strong prices last?

Could the optimism in the cattle industry be fueled by profitability? With cattle prices reaching record highs, it’s important to consider whether these high prices are equating to black ink on the balance sheet.

The smallest herd in 60 years creates a historic market for cattle and calves.

Cattle markets remain robust with the promise of getting even better. Understanding what has value to your calf buyer is key to capturing the most possible in the market place.

We know that the cattle market runs in cycle. Lee Schulz shares tips for how beef cattle producers can understand cattle cycles and how to make decisions accordingly.

The current high cattle prices were not a matter of “if” but “when,” following severe drought across cattle country. However, in volatile markets, should cow-calf producers be optimistic about profits in 2023?

The Packers and Stockyards Act changes may be coming, as the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill has been sent to the full House for consideration.

Solid prices gains are not new to cattle markets. Solid gains have been ongoing for several years and the fed market has roughly doubled over the past 35 months, a clear sign the market is not "broken."

Government intervention, or the free market? An esteemed ag economist implored the beef industry long ago not to “block changes that are being prompted by basic rules of economics.”

Cattle markets surging $10 higher over the past two weeks have pushed the 5-area average price to record levels and the rally may continue this week.

An analysis of calf sales through the Superior Livestock Auction by Kansas State University and Merck Animal Health looked at traits of load lots of calves that had impacted sales price.

Carrying show lists the previous week paid off to the tune of $3 cwt. A combination of bullish factors fueled the market and cattle feeders were awarded.

As the idea of rebuilding herds is on the horizon, how producers go about it will drive how high prices go and for how long, says Wes Ishmael.

Scott Brown, livestock economist at the University of Missouri, explains how even in a bullish cattle scenario, there are still downside risks to consider. How much risk can you afford?

On Thursday, Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Tester (D-Mont.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reintroduced the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act in the 118th Congress.

According to USDA, the pilot will mirror the working library that was shared with stakeholders in 2022 but will now contain active contracts.

In this time of growing leverage, feeders should adopt a New Year’s Resolution, “I will not sell on the first bid,” as evidenced by the Eastern feeder’s ability to resist initial offers of $248 and trade at $252.

Though it’s not quite like knowing the winning lottery numbers before they are drawn, there are some valuable insights to gain from understanding the cattle cycle and what the future might hold.

What number of beef processors would resolve producer concerns about “lack of competition?” Should meat processing be different than other industries?

Last week’s cash market topped $150! It’s a timely opportunity to review the need for regulatory intervention into the cash market (i.e. the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022).

NCBA said it is pleased to see the pilot program progressing and note the important decision to use the Livestock Mandatory Reporting statutes as a basis for any subsequent rulemakings.

With the industry divided on the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act legislation, perspectives range across regions of the U.S. TCFA president and CEO Ben Weinheimer shares his southern plains viewpoint.

AgriTalk host Chip Flory discusses the status of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act with Senators Deb Fischer and Chuck Grassley.

Price discovery in today’s fed cattle market “appears to be functioning effectively in even the thinnest regional fed cattle markets,” according to an analysis by University of Arkansas agricultural economists.

Beginning Monday, USDA’s Market News will issue two new reports based on Mandatory Livestock Reporting data to provide further insight into formula cattle trades and help promote fair and competitive markets.

The many moving pieces in grid marketing make it a bit of a chess game, but learning to play opens more opportunity for big wins. Ranchers can target cow herd genetics toward factors driving value in the supply chain.

Extending the decline of Select grade beef into the future, the authors of a new report says Select may be reduced to 5% of beef supplies by 2025.

Billions in breaks for energy sought in ‘tax extenders’ bill.

Corn futures are facing technical resistance. The yellow grain market continued its general rally Tuesday in the wake of the US production cut indicated on the January 12 USDA reports, with talk of South African drought

It's not news when activist websites demonize meat safety. But it's over the top when so-called food 'gourmets' start spouting the worst, most outrageous garbage about supermarket beef.