ANALYSIS: Cash Cattle Market Kicks Off New Month With Fresh Record Highs

This week’s cash cattle trade started off with a bang on Thursday as prices advanced by as much as $9 per cwt from the week prior. Negotiated prices in the South reached $180 per cwt, a new high for the year as well as a record high level for the Texas/Oklahoma region.  

In the North, live prices achieved $188 per cwt, also a fresh record high. Dressed sales climbed to $292.50 per cwt in Nebraska, approaching the all-time record of $298...

Broad Losses Weigh on CME Livestock, Grain Futures 

CME livestock futures were seemingly swept up in the broad-based losses across commodities and U.S. stocks Tuesday.

Following a sharp rise to contract highs last week, the April live cattle futures contract closed 52.5 cents lower at $167.60 per cwt Tuesday. Despite the pullback, yesterday’s settlement price was towards the top end of last week’s ranges. 

Bullish fundamentals including a seasonal advance in the beef cutout, tightening cattle supplies, and reduced beef production remain in play for the cattle markets...

USDA Data Show All Hogs/Pigs Up 0.2% vs '22, Near Expectations

The government's quarterly hogs and pigs report Thursday pegged the number of swine on U.S. farms as of March 1 at 0.2% above a year ago and nearly on target with what the participating analysts had predicted on average.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the nation's hog and pig herd at 72.860 million head, slightly below the average of analysts' estimates which represented a herd of about 72.907 million.

In the quarterly inventory data, the USDA reported the nation's swine breeding herd as of March 1 at...

Stocks Futures Add to Gains Ahead of Federal Reserve's Policy Meeting

U.S. stocks added to Monday’s gains in early action Tuesday on optimism that the global banking system is stabilizing after UBS acquired Credit Suisse for $3.2 billion. 

“After negotiations that took place during the weekend leading up to the signing of the merger agreement, UBS and Credit Suisse concluded that it would be in the best interest of their shareholders and their stakeholders to enter into the merger,” according to a press release from Credit Suisse... 

U.S. Stocks Add to Volatility as Traders Weigh First Republic Lifeline

Adding to this week’s volatility, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 0.4% Friday as traders assess the situation surrounding First Republic Bank.

The nation’s largest banks, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, have granted a $30 billion deposit in First Republic to strengthen confidence in the banking sector. 

The S&P 500 was last 0.3% lower. The tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 was flat to slightly firmer and has advanced by over 5% so far on the week, its best performance in several months. 

U.S. stock finished...

Concerns Over Banking Sector Fueled Sell-Off in Livestock Futures

All eyes have been on the financial sector in recent days following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the weekend. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks tumbled as growing concerns over the financial system mounted. Shares of Credit Suisse, a global investment bank and financial services firm based in Switzerland, declined by as much as 30% and hit an all-time low. 

The downturn in stocks likely spilled over into livestock futures Wednesday. Live cattle and feeder futures closed lower for a fifth consecutive session yesterday, sending the April contract to a multi-week floor. Further declines in futures prices yesterday triggered cash cattle sales by hedged feeders, who captured the positive basis of cash over futures...

Livestock Dealer and Four of Its Managers Sentenced in Widespread Pig Fraud Scheme

An Iowa corporation and four of its high-level managers have been sentenced in federal court after law enforcement uncovered a wide-ranging scheme to defraud that victimized livestock producers throughout the Midwest, caused over $3 million in loss, and spanned nearly two decades.

Lynch Family Companies, Inc., of Waucoma, Iowa, also known as “Lynch Livestock,” pled guilty on July 29, 2022, to one count of Failing to Comply with an Order of the Secretary of Agriculture. On February 10, 2023, Lynch Livestock was sentenced...

USDA Announces Major Program Improvements, Progress, and Investments to Benefit American Farmers

Today, at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced several major developments at the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will benefit farmers, ranchers and producers across the nation.

“At USDA, our goal is to provide all farmers, including new and underserved producers, with the opportunity to receive the assistance they need to continue farming, to build and maintain their competitive-edge, and to access more, new, and better markets,” said Vilsack, who spoke at the American Farm Bureau Federation...

USDA Developing New Tools to Identify COVID Virus in Wild and Domestic Animals

U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are developing new tests and tools to identify and track the COVID virus and its variants in wild and domestic animals.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is currently implementing a $300 million provision in the American Rescue Plan Act to monitor susceptible animals for the COVID virus. Through this initiative, APHIS is partnering with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on five research projects to improve understanding of the virus and to help USDA accomplish its goal of building...

Recognizing Animal Protein’s Critical Role Ahead of UN Climate Summit Agriculture Day

The Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) convened its first-ever "Sustainable Agriculture in the Americas" pavilion at the UN Climate Summit (COP27) and partnered with the Protein PACT and other stakeholders to convene a total of 9 events focused on animal agriculture's key role in sustainability solutions.

The Protein PACT events included a November 9 panel on sustainable livestock across regions and production systems, National Pork Board Assistant Vice President Ashley McDonald shared U.S. pork's commitments to ethical principles, best practices, and documenting proof...

USMEF Conference Concludes with Election of New Officers, Overview of Current Trade Landscape

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference wrapped up Friday in Oklahoma City with the election of a new officer team. Dean Meyer, a corn, soybean and livestock producer from Rock Rapids, Iowa, is the new USMEF chair.

In addition to raising corn and soybeans, Meyer’s diversified operation – which he oversees with his three sons – includes a cattle feedlot and a farrow-to-finish hog facility. This provides him with a deep appreciation of the diverse range of agricultural sectors that make up USMEF...

Grant Available to Help Cattle Producers Attend Educational Events

Cattle producers are the original stewards of land and livestock and are constantly striving to improve their operations through education and professional development. To help reduce the financial burden of attending conventions and meetings, the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cargill created the Rancher Resilience Grant, which is administered by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The grant reimburses producers for registration fees and other expenses at specific educational events, including Cattlemen’s College during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans...

NCBA Statement on Cattle Contracts Library Pilot Program Notice to Trade

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released the following statement in response to a Notice to Trade published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) related to the Cattle Contracts Library (CCL) pilot program:

“The Cattle Contracts Library is designed to be a tool for cattle producers, making information accessible which may in turn allow them to capture unrealized value for their livestock,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “We are pleased to see the pilot program progressing and note the..."

FarmBox Foods Launches Indoor Farm That Grows Livestock Feed

FarmBox Foods LLC is excited to announce the official launch of its Hydroponic Fodder Farm.

The company will host a public open house from 3-7 p.m. Sept. 27 at 5389 Plum Ave. in Sedalia, CO. Guided tours of the new indoor farm — the third product line offered by FarmBox Foods — will be provided. Attendees will also receive a tour of the company's other tech-assisted, containerized farms: the Vertical Hydroponic Farm and Gourmet Mushroom Farm.

What exactly is fodder? It's a nutrient-dense hay that's used as a dietary supplement...

CDFA Finalizes Proposition 12 Regulations—What Lies Ahead?

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has finalized the Proposition 12 implementation rules, which can be found here. The finalized regulations are similar to the second modified text, which was released in June of this year. 

According to an FAQ on CDFA's website, Proposition 12 is a "ballot initiative passed in 2018 by California voters that prohibits confining farm animals (egg-laying hens, veal calves and breeding pigs) in a cruel manner and prohibits the sale of products (eggs, veal meat and pork meat) from farm animals confined in a cruel manner into California commerce."

The law mandates minimum housing space requirements for breeding pigs, veal calves, and egg-laying hens and was originally set to begin on January 1, 2022. However, a ruling earlier this year delayed Proposition 12 for 180 days after the final rules went into effect...