USDA will release its monthly Cattle on Feed report tomorrow. Pre-report estimates from the industry peg the total number of cattle on feed as of 1 March at 101.5 percent of March 2020. The range of estimates was very tight, between 101 percent and 102 percent.
Placements from February are expected to be 98 percent of last year. No doubt the weather mid-month had an impact on placements. As we reported on 25 February, cold weather, snow and ice drove feeder and stocker auctions down to 77,600 head. Auctions in the southern plans were sparse, including no sales in Texas and very light volumes in Oklahoma and Missouri. Add to that the price of corn and we expect some placements were delayed to gain more weight on pasture. Then...
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...
