Latest News From Cattle

America's dairy industry has been robust the last several decades. Now, larger average dairies are producing more beef-dairy crossbred calves that are much higher quality for producing beef.

And the rest is history!

The first of two trials for a Missouri man accused of killing two Wisconsin brothers is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2022. Garland Joseph Nelson has been held without bond since his arrest in July of 2019.

A snapshot of beef cow inventories over the past three decades is essentially flat. The advancements in quality and productivity during that time, however, has been impressive.

Closer evaluation of factors driving today's cattle markets do not suggest a 'broken market,' but rather strengthening prices which are the result of increasing consumer beef demand - both domestic and international.

Convicted of wire fraud and running a Ponzi scheme that raised $650 million from investors across the country, a couple now face decades in prison.

Investment in better genetics, management, research, and promotion have all proven to make a difference towards bolstering demand.  Consumers have more awareness of, and access to, high-quality beef products than ever.

Efforts to regulate profits away from packers is a commodity mindset, columnist Nevil Speer writes. A better investment of time and money is toward consumers and growing beef demand.

Active trade pushed cash fed cattle prices higher again as the market has now advanced $7 over the last three weeks. Drought-induced feedyard placements created a modest surprise for analysts.

Construction will begin this fall on a $200 million upgrade to the existing beef complex and add employee facilities, including locker rooms, a cafeteria and office space.

Amid continuing drought, the 2022 hay supply data illustrate why so much herd liquidation has occurred this year. It also speaks to the continuing challenges that cattle producers will face to get through the winter.

During a ceremony in downtown Amarillo, principals for Producer Owned Beef announced their plans for a 3,000-head per day beef packing facility that will break ground next year.

The farmer’s share of the retail beef dollar is often misinterpreted and is not a good measure of industry viability. Much of the discussion about farmer’s share works to commoditize the marketing system.

Sudden deaths late in the feeding phase are both frustrating and expensive. Simplot Land & Livestock says its research suggests genetic selection can greatly reduce the incidence of bovine congestive heart failure.

Famer’s share, the percentage of the retail dollar captured at the farmgate is an important topic, yet it's easily misinterpreted and often conflated with other issues.

The initial steps have been taken in the process for Sustainable Beef LLC to construct a new beef packing facility in Nebraska. In Missouri, American Foods Group intends to break ground on its new plant in August.

Recent sales data suggest alternative proteins are struggling to maintain the momentum the products enjoyed after first hitting the market.

Drought has been a topic of conversation among ranchers for several months. Join us Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 3 p.m. CST as we discuss drought and it's impacts on producers.

Drought impacts have accelerated sharply in the southern plains in July, with the volume of feeder cattle in Oklahoma auctions up 24% the last two weeks and the volume of cows and bulls up nearly 124%.

USDA's mid-year inventory is the smallest since 2015 with beef cow herd down 2.4%. Cattle on feed inventories unchanged from last year at 13.4 million.

A New Mexico jury rules in favor of a cattle producer in a contract dispute with Tyson Fresh Meats, ordering the packer to pay millions in actual and punitive damages.

Current data on beef cow slaughter, combined with historical price performance of cattle markets after reaching an inventory low point, provides some insight for cattle price trends for the second half of 2022 and 2023.

Based on the data, it’s impossible to establish any meaningful link between beef imports and the packer and fed cattle prices.

America's largest food distributor has filed suit in Texas alleging the Big 4 packing companies conspired to fix prices since 2015.

U.S. beef exports topped $1 billion for the fourth month this year while setting new volume and value records. Pork exports, still below last year’s large totals, rebounded in May as shipments were the largest of 2022.

Haying ditches has unique safety concerns any year due to the highly variable sloped surfaces of ditches. Unsafe conditions can create wear and tear on equipment, damage equipment or cause injuries or even death.

Project will impact working ranches and rural communities, while quantifying the value of soil health and other ecosystem functions.

More than 45% of the contiguous US is currently in drought, with many parts of the southwest experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought. And no state has it worse than Texas.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition by R-CALF USA for consideration of its legal challenge of the Beef Checkoff, effectively ending the case that began six years ago.

Western Legacy Development Corporation's proposed large packing plant has Rapid City, S.D., residents and city officials seeking more details on how the project may impact the region. Meeting set for Thursday in Wall.

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced two bills aimed at making cattle markets more transparent and competitive, with Sen. Chuck Grassley declaring his "years-long beef with Big Cattle" close to being settled.

The Senate Ag Committee is scheduled to vote on the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act this week. 

Monday morning packers are convinced the solution to low cattle prices is more carcass hooks. Reality, however, suggests proposed new packing plants are out of step with cattle inventories and available labor.

With the extreme heat in cattle feeding areas there have been reports of death losses.

Buster Welch holds a record of five National Cutting Horse Association Futurity Championships, and also has won four NCHA World Championship titles.

Grocery retailer Giant Eagle alleges the nation’s large beef packing companies have exploited their market power to limit the supply of beef and raise prices in a new lawsuit filed in Chicago on Wednesday.

International trade is an essential part of the U.S. beef industry.   It’s also the topic that seemingly generates more interest among producers than any other major issue within the business.

Plenty of folks are scared of the chickenization scenario, in which first come formulas, then come production contracts, then come “no other options.” Which sounds pretty awful. Is it?

An 8,000-head per day state-of-the-art beef processing facility utilizing robotics and other high-tech features was announced in Rapid City last week. Groundbreaking would be as early as next year.

The city of Amarillo has approved incentives to encourage Producer Owned Beef, LLC, to locate their proposed new packing facility at a site in the Texas city near I-40.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th District rejected claims that two working groups formed to discuss radio frequency identification violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Law enforcement agents traveled to a rural and sparsely populated West Texas county on Friday to arrest the county judge, a former sheriff’s deputy and two ranch hands for cattle rustling.

American ranchers face a dry start to the summer grazing season as about half of the nation's beef cows reside under some designation of drought. Texas shows 76% of pastures in poor to very poor condition.

Trade across national boundaries is a positive-sum activity; both trading partners gain or it wouldn’t occur. Any sort of intervention disrupts that premise and artificially establishes a system of winners and losers.

The House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis alleges meat packers pressed “baseless” claims of beef and pork shortages early in the pandemic to persuade the Trump Administration to keep operations running.

Why are we importing beef, especially processed beef, from Brazil? Why aren’t we and all the environmental groups working together to hit DC like Jan. 6, demanding we stop importing that stuff.

In production agriculture, the output is largely a commodity. But whether the output is commodity or differentiated, the system of how the output is produced matters as much as the output itself.

Opponents of American Foods Group's proposed Missouri packing plant have appealed the conditional permit granted for the facility and a hearing is scheduled for later this month.

“Don’t shoot where the duck is. Shoot where he’s going to be.” It’s a lesson Steve Cornett thinks some young cattle folk need to consider.

Undoubtedly, consumers increasingly want more transparency. But reference to “where food comes from” invokes very specific connotations – beyond just country-of-origin.