USDA will release its Cattle on Feed report tomorrow; analysts’ pre-report estimates peg the total number of cattle on feed as of 1 February at 96 percent of February 2022. Last February was the record for February feed yard inventory. This would be the fourth consecutive month where on-feed inventories are lower than year ago levels.
Placements were forecast to be 97 percent of last year and marketings at 104 percent of last year. The ranges of estimates were relatively tight with the most variance in the placement category as typical.
Yesterday, the FDA released a draft guidance on the labeling of plant-based milk alternatives. The guidance did not address meat alternative labeling, however. In 2018, the FDA reques...
What You Need to Know Today: As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.75–4.00 percent, its first rate increase since 2023, as policymakers respond to persistent inflation pressures. The Fed also signaled that additi...
Key Takeaways: USDA data access is equal; the ability to use it is not. Larger operations can afford experts who turn public reports into business decisions. Analytical capacity is the true advantage. Forecasts matter only when converted into profit, purchasing, and risk-management decisions...
