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Livestock
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.
Read MoreHog prices have collapsed to levels far below breakeven. There is worry that there are more hogs headed to market this fall than available packing capacity, and the latest USDA inventory indicates there are more hogs than had been anticipated.
Read MoreBoth 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).
Read MoreProducers 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.
Read MoreRecent 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.
Read MoreThis article discussed recent trends in feed costs for a swine finishing enterprise. Feed costs have dropped dramatically since the first quarter of 2014. Feed cost is expected to be slightly below 2015 levels in 2016 and 2017.
Read MoreThe longer-term economic implications of Brexit may be the most important and could reduce the rate of world economic growth. If Brexit does slow world income growth, that could be negative for global sales of pork and other U.S. agricultural products.
Read MoreTwo important factors determining margins this year are the potential for higher pork exports and thus higher hog prices and the potential for higher feed prices. These are tugging at margins in opposite directions.
Read MoreIn May of 2005, the newly formed Indiana State Department of Agriculture released its first strategic plan titled, Possibilities Unbound: The Plan for 2025. Among seven initiatives outlined, one focused on the opportunity for growth of the state’s pork industry. The report suggested that the size of the Indiana pork industry could double between 2005…
Read MoreToday, tissue test for various genetic markers can generate a surprising amount of information including estimates of feedlot performance for individual cattle. So, the economic question we explored was whether the returns of using the information exceeded the costs of the test.
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