The cyber attack on JBS sent a shock through the markets, but JBS was already re-opening plants on Wednesday. Today’s estimated slaughter was back up where it was previously – if not at the level to move sufficient cattle through.
The actual slaughter data for the week ending 22 May were released today; total weekly kill was 672,197 including 537,750-plus head of fed cattle. That is the highest since June 2020. Seasonally, the market typically moves into higher slaughter volumes and lighter weights in the month of June. We’ll see where things shake out next week – the first full week of the month. Slaughter and carcass weights are down from last year, but last year was even more interrupted; weights are still heav...
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...
