World Perspectives
livestock

Cattle on Feed: Placements Higher than Expectations

USDA released its Cattle on Feed report today, conforming with pre-report expectations. The inventory of cattle in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more was 12 million head, the same as 1 January 2020 inventory.     

December placements were above the pre-report average guess and the number of long fed cattle is increasing. Net placements in December were 1.785 million head, and therefore, the number of cattle on feed for more than 120 days is caclulated to be 4.1 million head, up from 3.89 million head. The number of cattle on feed for 150 days or more is calculated to be 2.1 million head, up from 2.05 million head last month. 

December placements trended toward a mix of slightly heavier cattle compared t...

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From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

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