
Author Archives

Forced liquidation a cause of volatility in beef cattle prices
There are record meat supplies in the U.S., but demand has been boosted by the strong economy
Several producers recently expressed their frustration with the volatility in cattle prices. Price movements of several dollars can occur from one day to the next, and cash and futures market prices even seem to move in opposite directions at times. Of course, uncertainty causes market volatility, and a number of supply-and-demand challenges are adding to
U.S. sheep numbers resilient despite drought
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its annual “Sheep and Goats” inventory report on Feb. 1. According to the report, all sheep and lamb inventories in the U.S. on Jan. 1, 2013, totalled 5.34 million head, down just 0.6 per cent, or 30,000 head, from a year ago. Some sheep
U.S. cattle herd declines but northern states see increases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the much-anticipated “Cattle” report on Feb 1. The semi-annual inventory report confirmed what many cattle market observers had expected: The record-setting drought in the southern Plains in 2011 that expanded into much of the country, including the Corn Belt in 2012, caused lower cattle numbers.
North/south split in U.S. cattle trends
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the much-anticipated “Cattle” report on Feb. 1. The semi-annual inventory report confirmed what many cattle market observers had expected: The record-setting drought in the southern Plains in 2011 that expanded into much of the country, including the Corn Belt in 2012, caused lower cattle numbers.
Lamb Price Outlook For 2011
Lamb prices set a record high in 2010, which is welcome news for producers after the last several years of depressed prices. The last record-high year for slaughter-lamb prices was 2005. The 2010 prices exceeded that old record by more than 15 per cent. Slaughter-lamb prices were 25 per cent higher than the depressed prices
Lamb Prices Strengthen On Lower Supplies
Lamb prices have shown a strong seasonal price improvement during February and March. Prices at northern Plains markets for fed lambs have increased from about $100 per hundredweight (cwt) in early January to more than $120 per cwt in mid-March. The strength in prices was due to both lower supplies of lambs and stronger ethnic
Cattle, corn and the credit crunch
NDSU EXTENSION SERVICE Since midsummer, new-crop December corn futures prices have declined more than US$4 per bushel from the $7.88-per-bushel high. During the same time, November feeder cattle futures prices declined more than US$20 per hundredweight (cwt) from highs of more than $119. My previous columns have emphasized the usual opposite relationship between feeder cattle
With roots going back to 1925, each weekly issue of the Manitoba Co-operator contains production, marketing and policy news selected for relevance to crops and livestock producers in Manitoba.