USDA’s September cattle on feed report was released Friday, with the total number of cattle in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounting to 11.2 million head, 101 percent of last year.
Placements dropped in August to their lowest total for the month since records began in 1996 and for the second consecutive month. Marketings followed suit, with the lowest total recorded for August as well and for the third consecutive month.
Overall, the report was bullish, but the market had to contend with a couple of rumors yesterday and today that were bearish. First was a rumor that there would be a ban on beef exports in an attempt to bring down prices. Sources within USDA said this was false and that they didn’t know the sourc...
What You Need to Know Today: The September Cattle on Feed report was strongly bullish, with both the 1 September on-feed inventory and August placements coming in well below average expectations and below the bottom of their respective pre-report estimate ranges. China continues to buy U...
Key Takeaways: The U.S. herd is stabilizing, but growth remains modest. Total goat inventory rose 1 percent in 2026, while meat-goat numbers increased 2 percent, which is not enough to materially reduce import dependence. Domestic slaughter is rising from a low base. Commercial slaughter incre...
What You Need to Know: U.S. fertilizer production is highly concentrated, but concentration alone does not establish that producers are operating as a cartel. Imports introduce competition unevenly: they supply nearly all U.S. potash consumption but play much smaller roles in domestic ammonia...
