World Perspectives
livestock

Cattle on Feed and Semi-Annual Cattle Inventory

The cattle on feed inventory set a new record for the month of July at 11.3 million head. The 1 July total was down 300,00 head from the 1 June inventory but 104 percent of the same period a year ago, making it the 19th consecutive month that the on-feed inventory at the beginning of the month was larger than the year prior.

Higher placements versus a year ago occurred in bookend fashion with both light and heavy cattle showing increases, but it is the gain in the former that will have the biggest impact.

June kicks off the heavy demand (read “grilling”) season for beef, and thus marketings were seasonally strong while placements dropped, which is the typical pattern for summer.

While imports of feeder cattle from Canad...

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From WPI Consulting

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WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

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