USDA released its monthly meat price spreads today, which show the producer, packer and retailer share of the retail value of beef and pork. As expected, based on past and the current CPI reports, retail values of red meat during Q3 were down from earlier in the year, though beef saw a holiday spike in December. For the month, beef retail prices were flat, but down 3.1 percent on the year. Pork prices were down 1.9 percent for the month and up 1.5 percent for the year. Meanwhile, cattle producers are seeing a growing share of the retail value of beef, while hog producers have been seeing a declining share of the retail value of pork.
Obviously, for beef, with retail values declining and cattle prices increasing, the packers’ margin...
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...
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) enters its mandated six-year review on 1 July. The original intent of the review is outlined in Article 34.7, which obligates members to: Provide recommendations and decide on appropriate actions. Extend the USMCA for another 16 years and meet aga...
