2020 was a year of unprecedented volatility in ag markets and life in general, and the cow/calf sector did not escape this pattern. Rising feed costs through the fall have pressured estimated returns to cow/calf operations while weakness in cull cow prices has similarly depressed revenue opportunities. Fortunately, moderate strength in feeder cattle/calf prices has helped offset some of the higher feed costs. WPI’s current forecast is that the “average” cow/calf operation in the southern Plains lost $8.38/cow unit on calves sold this year, a $16 improvement from last month’s estimate but below our July forecast of -$1.94/cow unit.
Cow/calf producers faced a challenging year starting with the spring COVID-19...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
