The Beef Isn’t Moving More. It’s Worth More.

Southeast Regional Ag News
July export volume stayed flat while U.S. beef export value gained 6 percent.

More Value, Same Beef

California Ag Today
July beef export volume held steady, but stronger global demand pushed export value higher.

Cattle Industry Stability Concerns, Corn for Use in Ethanal Increases

Line on Agriculture
The U.S. cattle industry is poised for growth due to incentives in the One Big, Beautiful Bill" and favorable rain conditions. However, concerns arise from the U.S. President's plan to import 300,000 metric tons of beef, which could undermine domestic cattle production and stability.

US ethanol production's corn consumption has risen, with 474.7 million bushels used in July, a 2% increase from June. This highlights a potential strain on the agricultural sector.

Cattle Inventory Up, Placements Down, POTUS Beef Import Plan Critisized

Line on Agriculture
The USDA's August Cattle o Feed report showed a rise in feedlot inventory to over 11.1 million head, up nearly 200,000 from the previous year.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association criticized President Trump's call to increase beef imports, warning it could hinder efforts to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd

Beef-on-Dairy Cattle Gain Ground in U.S. Feedlots

Southeast Regional Ag News
More dairy farms are using beef genetics, and the resulting calves now represent a significant share of feedlot cattle.

Cattle Prices High, Margins Tight — Packers Hit with Class-Action Suit

Line on Agriculture
Cattle prices are strong but rising input costs and inflation are squeezing producer margins, while a federal judge has certified a class-action alleging major packers manipulated markets (2015–2020) by slowing slaughter and coordinating purchases to depress prices.

Prime Beef Production Keeps Climbing

Southeast Regional Ag News
Recent grading data show Prime beef outpacing Select by more than two-to-one.

R-CALF Farm Bill Priorities

Line on Agriculture
R-CALF USA, led by CEO Bill Bullard, is advocating for specific measures in the farm bill currently under Senate review. Key points include the need to revise a cattle procurement tool that allows meat packers to manipulate prices through unpriced formula contracts, which removes cattle from competitive price discovery markets

More Cattle Coming In, Less Cattle Leaving Feedlots

Line on Agriculture
Dry conditions are pushing more cattle into feedlots, which is up 2% versus a year ago.

Analyzing Cattle Depreciation

Line on Agriculture
Buying a high-priced cow means looking at the long term valuation of her life and the depreciation that can occur.

WASDE: Elevated Corn Use Strains Feed Supply as Mexican Border Closure Clouds U.S. Cattle Outlook

Line on Agriculture
The USDA's latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report shows elevated numbers amid uncertainty about future demand. One market analyst notes that the U.S. is currently feeding 525 million more bushels of corn than last year, but this is unsustainable due to the Mexican border shutdown.

Cattle Markets Volatile Reaction

Line on Agriculture
Why the cattle market's overreaction to the POTUS's indicates a broken system, suggesting it is too thin and overly sensitive to rumors and statements.

Part 1: Cattle Group Supports POTUS Cattle Packer Probe

Line on Agriculture
R-CALF USA highlighted a longstanding issue where cattle prices have not reflected beef prices, with cattle prices falling from 2021 while beef prices hit records.

Cattle Market Sensitivity

Line on Agriculture
The Trump administration's comments on lowering consumer beef prices have caused significant volatility in the cattle markets, according to R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.

Managing Cattle Market Emotions

Line on Agriculture
The emotional impact of cattle market fluctuations on producers, particularly those who sell annually.

Long Last High Beef Prices Come With A Cost to Producers

Line on Agriculture
When and if the consumer becomes priced out of the beef market, it will take a lot of time and money to bring them back to beef, according to one state beef industry leader.

Cattle Industry Signals

Line on Agriculture
The latest USDA cattle on feed report was below expectations

Feeder Cattle Hard to Find

Line on Agriculture
Risk management is key to when it comes to filling feedlots in the current tight cattle supply situation.

Cattle Pricing Trends

Line on Agriculture
Market Analyst Brian Irey, expects cattle prices to continue to trend higher.

New Leader Has Lofty Goals for Cattle Industry

Line on Agriculture
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association Presdient-Elect, Buck Wehrbein Outlines his personal goals and focuses for the organization.

Photo Courtesy: meatpoultry.com