USDA released its monthly Cattle on Feed (COF) report this afternoon. The inventory of all cattle and calves on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head capacity or larger was 11.3 million head, 99 percent of October 2018. Today’s report compares to 11 million head on 1 September; the 1 October herd was up slightly as would be expected seasonally. September placements were 2.09 million head, 102 percent of last year. Cattle marketings in September were 1.74 million head, 101 percent of September 2018. All the numbers were in line with industry expectations.
Total marketings (the number of cattle sent to slaughter) kept current with an increase in Saturday kills making up for the idled Tyson plant in Kansas. September 2019 also had 2...
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...