USDA released its monthly Cattle on Feed (COF) report last Friday. The total number of cattle in feedlots with capacity of more than 1,000 as of 1 May was 11.6 million head, 105 percent of last year. This inventory was down slightly from the 1 April total of 11.7 million head. Just to keep a running score, please note the following:
This was the seventh month in a row that the inventory rose 5 percent or more. This was the 17th consecutive month that the inventory has been larger than the year prior. This was the second-largest 1 May inventory on record (as was the 1 April inventory for that month).
The USDA report totals were very much in keeping with the expectations of the trade prior to its release.
The only categories that h...
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