USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year.
Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought conditions in much of the major cattle-feeding regions. Those increased placements would normally be considered bearish, but market-ready cattle numbers are tight, and marketings were down 10 percent. In the first four months of this year, through April, cattle slaughter was down 870,000 head, or 8.6 percent. Based on one less slaughter day in 2026, that nets out to a drop of 7.5 percent. April fed beef production was down 6.5 percent, and non-fed beef...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
Let’s return briefly to the fake meat hype cycle, now sitting somewhere in a dusty corner of your mind, not entirely forgotten. What happened to all those products, known as plant-based alternative proteins? They were supposed to be as good as real meat—cheaper, more environmentally...
