Yesterday, WPI covered the export demand for pork, and how that could help support hog prices moving forward, along with some other factors like lower feed costs. Below is a look at cattle prices and domestic beef demand. Cattle prices remain at record levels, surpassing the previous records of 2014 and 2015.
For context, the cattle herd entering 2024 is the smallest since 1951, as beef demand remains strong. Notably, the previous low point for the cattle herd in 2014 was the lowest since 1952, yet beef demand was not as strong a decade ago. Beef production hit records in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Production decreased in 2023 year-over-year for the first time in seven years, albeit down from a record level, due to a small...
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...
