Top Farmer Conference: January 10, 2025

As one of the most successful and longest-running management programs specifically crafted for farmers, the Purdue Top Farmer Conference is a one-day event for agricultural producers and agribusiness professionals looking to navigate the complexities of today's agricultural landscape. Participants will have the opportunity to network with peers and hear from farm management experts and agricultural economists from Purdue, Farm Credit Services of America, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Acres, a land value data analytics company.

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cattle. beef

Increase in U.S. Calf Crop Points Towards Larger Beef Supplies in 2018-2019

This is the third consecutive year that the calf crop size has increased after bottoming out at 33.5 million head in 2014.

Cattle Finishing Net Returns in 2017 – A Bit Different from a Year Ago

This article discusses prospects for feeding cost of gain, the feeder to fed cattle price ratio, and cattle finishing net returns.

NAFTA Trade is Important for Meat Industry

The 2016 election cycle created a lot of confusion about the importance and benefits of trade in general. In particular, a good bit of the election year rhetoric focused on trade within the NAFTA trade bloc (U.S., Canada and Mexico).

Net Return Prospects for Cattle Finishing in 2017

This article discusses recent trends in feeding cost of gain, the feeder to fed price ratio, and cattle finishing net returns. Current breakeven and fed cattle price projections create an environment that is at a minimum cautiously optimistic.

Cattle Industry Still in Expansion Mode, at Least for Now

The dramatic price decline, and resulting falloff in profitability by cow-calf producers, led to questions about possible impacts on industry expansion. The report leaves little doubt that the industry is still in expansion mode, at least for now.

Ag Business Climate Outlook for 2017

Recorded January 6, 2017 | Chris Hurt, Michael Langemeier and Jim Mintert discuss the key factors that will impact the agricultural outlook in 2017.

Cattle Prices: More Room for Recovery?

The cattle industry has been through numerous shocks including high feed prices and drought in recent years. In trying to discover the right price, markets often have to overshoot and then undershoot as they continue to adjust in the search for the correct price.

Impact of Lower Corn Prices on Feeding Cost of Gain and Cattle Finishing Net Returns

Both fed cattle and corn prices have dropped significantly during the last year. Specifically, since September 2015 fed cattle prices in Kansas have declined approximately 23 percent (from $137.35 to $106.07 per cwt).

Beef and Pork’s Role in Filling the Supply Gap

Producers of beef and pork have generally been discouraged about recent low prices as cash prices have dropped sharply this year. Spring finished cattle price highs were near $138 per live hundredweight, but last week had fallen to $115, a $23 plunge.

Cattle Markets Can Recover

Recent live cattle futures prices have been extremely depressed, sending signals of much lower cash prices next year. While prices are expected to be lower next year, they may not be as low as suggested by futures.

Center for Commercial Agriculture