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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Livestock

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

Given that the U.S. stocks to use ratio is currently only 9.6 percent and continued questions related to U.S. corn acreage in 2022, there is tremendous uncertainty regarding corn prices for the rest of this year. To address this uncertainty, this article examines the impact of relatively high corn prices on feeding cost of gain and net returns for cattle finishing.

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Exports Continue to Be A Bright Spot for U.S. Pork Sector

Exports of U.S. pork to all destinations in 2021 declined modestly (3%) when compared to 2020, but export volume in 2021 was still the second largest on record. U.S. pork production declined 2% in 2021 to 27.7 billion pounds so pork exports, at just over 7 billion pounds, equated to 25% of U.S. pork production.

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Cattle Finishing Net Returns Prospects for 2022

Due to relatively strong fed cattle prices, cattle finishing net returns ended 2021 on a positive note.  Will these positive net returns continue into 2022?  This article examines feeding cost of gain, breakeven prices, and net return estimates for 2021, and provides projections for the first half of 2022.

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Prospects for Swine Feed Costs in 2022

Given the uncertainty related to supply and demand, feed prices are likely to remain volatile during the 21/22 marketing year. This article examines trends in feed costs as well as the impact of corn and soybean meal prices on feed costs for farrow-to-finish and swine finishing operations.

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Pork Belly Price Strength Leads the Way Among Pork Cuts

The pandemic disrupted food production, processing, distribution, and consumption across the board. As a result, dramatic shifts in price relationships have become commonplace. Examining changes in these price relationships can provide clues to shifting interest among consumers for food items, including various pork cuts.

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Factors Impacting Feeding Cost of Gain

Purdue ag economist Michael Langemeier discusses the key factors impacting feeding cost of gain in commercial feedlots.

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Exports More Important to Pork than Beef or Chicken

It’s no surprise that exports are an important market outlet for U.S. pork production. But did you know that exports are even more important to the pork industry than they are to either the beef or poultry industries?

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Carbon Markets for U.S. Row Crop Producers: Opportunities and Challenges

Recorded June 24 | Purdue ag economists Carson Reeling, Nathanael Thompson and James Mintert discussed the opportunities and challenges of the carbon markets for row crop producers.

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Pork Cutout Futures Provide New Risk Management Tool

Although lean hog futures prices and pork cutout values are correlated, they can diverge significantly at times leading to interest in developing a risk management tool that more closely matches the price series used in many cash contracts. Recently CME Group launched pork cutout futures and options in an attempt to address this challenge.

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Impact of Higher Corn Prices on Cattle Finishing Net Returns

Each $0.10 increase in corn price results in an increase in feeding cost of gain of approximately $0.88.  In turn, each $1 increase in feeding cost of gain results in a $5.56 per head decrease in cattle finishing net returns. 

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