Pasture conditions are deteriorating as 2023 comes to a close and the grazing season closes out. This has potential implications for the rebuilding of the cattle herd. As of 15 October, conditions have improved over the last three years, but are not back to pre-drought levels. Going into the winter without sufficient forage is clearly an obstacle to herd expansion – and the reason why beef cow slaughter peaked in Q4 in all but six of the last 50 years. How much it peaks is something to watch this year.
One positive is that hay supplies are up. Production in 2023 is up 10 percent for alfalfa and 8.1 percent for other hay. But the bigger question with beef cattle herd rebuilding leads to question about the structure of the cow calf s...
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...
