Cattle Outlook
Cattle Outlook: Retail choice beef up 9% over past 2 years
Today's Cattle on Feed report says the number of cattle in large feedlots at the start of May was down 3.4% from a year ago. April placements were up 15.1% and April marketings were up 2.2%, due to one extra slaughter day.
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Cattle Outlook: Record corn harvest expected but planting lags
Corn planting is falling farther behind normal. As of May 5, 12% of corn acres were planted compared to 69% a year ago and a 5-year average of 47% planted by May 5.
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Cattle Outlook: Choice boxed beef tops $200
Fed cattle prices were higher this week on heavy volume. Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $129.02/cwt, up $1.77 from last week and up $8.86/cwt from the same week last year.
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Cattle Outlook: Cattle slaughter lowest March since 1991
USDA's April cattle on feed report was bearish. Placements during March were up 6.0% compared to a year earlier.
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Cattle Outlook: Retail choice beef prices set new record
Retail choice beef prices set a new record in March at $5.222 per pound, up 7.8 cents from February and up 24.7 cents from March 2012.
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Cattle Outlook: Beef exports slowing on stronger dollar
U.S. beef exports were down 2.5% in February compared to a year earlier. Of the top 7 destinations for beef shipments, only Canada and Hong Kong bought more U.S. beef this February than last.
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Cattle Outlook: Fed cattle, boxed beef prices higher this week
Fed cattle prices rose this week. Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $128.29/cwt, up 53 cents from last week and up $7.38/cwt from the same week last year.
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Cattle Outlook: Crop report points to declining feed costs
The grain stocks report indicated corn supplies might not be as tight this summer as previously thought. Pasture quality and availability will continue to be a concern for the coming summer.
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Cattle Outlook: Weekly cattle slaughter falls
USDA's March cattle on feed report said there were 7.0% fewer cattle in large feedlots than on March 1, 2012. The average of pre-release trade predictions was that the on feed number would be down 6.5%. More on this in next week's report.
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Cattle Outlook: Export beef demand starts 2013 higher
Domestic beef demand was up 2.8% in January and export demand was up 4.4%. Demand for fed cattle was down 0.7% due to wider packer margins than in January 2012.
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Cattle Outlook: Cattle futures prices trending lower in 2013
The USDA is now predicting combined red meat and poultry production will 0.4% greater than in 2012. In December they were predicting meat and poultry production would be 2.6% lower this year than last.
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- New school lunch beef recipes win approval from kids, foodservice
- Prices for corn and soybeans, five years from now
- Drier weather to give big boost to U.S. corn plantings
- The relationship between retail gasoline prices and futures prices
- Agriculture is expected to remain strong in the coming decade
- What sick day? Farmers take just three a year
