According to beef grading data released by USDA, the percent of beef grading Choice and Prime hit record highs in the first weeks of 2022. Specifically, for the week ending 5 February, the combined total was 85.27 percent. For January, the average was 84.15 percent. Heavy, long fed cattle and good weather conditions certainly helped boost beef quality. The bigger story, however, is the historical context of beef quality. Looking back at the first five weeks of the year, the increased quality in beef has been remarkable. From 2011-2013, the five-week average was 67.38 percent; since 2019 the five-week average has been above 82 percent.
With all the discussion over meat inflation, this general trend of increase in beef quality...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
