USDA released its Cattle Inventory report today. The total inventory of all cattle and calves as of 1 January is 89.3 million head; that compares to 92.1 million head, or 97 percent, of the cattle inventory on 1 January 2022. Key numbers from today’s report.
The 1 January number of feeder cattle outside of feedlots is the lowest since 2015 and is only 100,000 head (less than a day’s kill) higher than 2015. Feeder cattle outside feed lots make up 64 percent of all feeder cattle (combined on feed and outside feedlots), which is 1 percent higher than last year but two percent lower than in 2015.
Feeders and packers have worked their way through large cattle supplies as shown by the number of cattle on feed for 150 days...
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...
