USDA released two key reports on the cattle market today, the Cattle on Feed report and the July Cattle Inventory report. The Cattle Inventory report was suspended last year, so this is the first mid-year look at the cattle herd since 2023. The nation’s cattle herd, as of 1 July, is 94.2 million head, a little above pre-report expectations but still 1 percent below 1 July 2023. In line with expectations, the number of bulls 500 pounds and heavier were unchanged at 1.9 million head. Every other category, however, dropped.
Beef cows at 28.7 million head are down 1 percent from 2023 Beef replacement heifers at 3.7 million head are down 3 percent from 2023 Steers 500 pounds and over are 13.8 million head, do...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
