The U.S. cattle herd has shrunk for the fifth straight year to a 60-year low, a government report showed on Friday, as a devastating drought and record high feed costs hit production, which will likely mean even higher beef prices for consumers. One of the worst droughts since the Dust Bowl days in the 1930s
U.S. cattle herd at 60-year low
Bull run in U.S. cattle may lose steam, for now
Texas rancher Jim Selman is on the verge of going out of the cattle business, a victim of one of the worst droughts since the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. The more than 300 cattle on his 3,000-acre ranch in Gonzales County have dwindled to a mere seven, as the verdant pastures turned into dried-up
Grain Trade Veterans Flummoxed By Market Reaction
It was supposed to have been a benign U.S. government report, a highly provisional glimpse at this year’s crops – something expert grain traders would take note of before going about their business. Instead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first look at crop production in the United States this year released on Feb. 14 –
CBOT Says It Is Still The Global Benchmark
Chicago Board of Trade, the world’s largest grain exchange, has no fear of its wheat contract being challenged as the global benchmark for prices by an upstart from Australia, a senior official told Reuters. Australia’s stock exchange operator, ASX Ltd., plans for its Hard wheat export futures contract to begin trading in May, opening up
U. S. Dairy Group To Trim Herd
CA 4A MANUFACTURING MILK PRICE VS. F. O. CLASS IV Per CWT. $22.00 $21.00 $20.00 $19.00 $18.00 $17.00 $16.00 $15.00 $14.00 $13.00 $12.00 $11.00 $10.00 $9.00 Jan- 00 Jul- 00 Jan- 01 Jul- 01 Jan- 2 0 Jul- 02 Jan- 03 Jul- 03 Jan- 04 Jul- 04 Jan- 5 0 Jul- 05 Jan- 06 Jul-
U. S. Ethanol Sector Faces Grim Prospects
Hard times have hit the once-robust U. S. ethanol sector amid the economic recession, with as much as 15 per cent of production capacity likely standing idle, USDA chief economist Joseph Glauber said Feb. 25. It was a sobering assessment of the fledging industry that was once bursting with optimism and financial gains as the
How low can U. S. grains go?
“We are seeing a lot of wealth destruction and demand destruction. I don’t think that is going to heal itself overnight.” – U. S. Grains Analyst Jim Bower The sell-off in grains as part of a broader flight of investment money from commodities could continue through year’s end due to the expanding credit crisis, with
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