USDA’s most recent monthly dairy data shows that the number of milk cows declined in July for the second month in a row, after increasing month-over-month since July 2020. The expansion started after the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which hit during the “spring flush” in April, May, and June, when dairy purchase programs sparked rebounding Class III milk prices. Despite the month-over-month drop in July 2021, total dairy cows at 9.5 million head, were 102 percent of July 2019 and 101.4 percent of July 2020.
Additionally, milk production per cow in July was up 11 pounds, or 0.5 percent compared to July 2020. Per cow production has been higher in 2021 compared to 2020 for every month except February – whi...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
