We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
In July, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the mid-year Cattle report, which provided a snapshot of U.S. cattle inventory as well as a glimpse into cow-calf producers’ intentions for retaining heifers.
“Go to the ball. Don’t wait for it to come to you.” Hearing those words were a common occurrence in my high school basketball days, and my team’s lack of implementation (myself included) could very well be the reason those days never amounted to a state title.
Meatpacking facilities have continued to recover weekday slaughter capacity and have used Saturday as an opportunity to improve overall weekly slaughter totals.
When I go from my home in Minnesota to Ames, Iowa, for business meetings, Interstate 35 is a good road to take. When I go to the Black Hills of South Dakota for vacation, however, taking I-35 would be a terrible choice. Driving all day on I-35 would leave me farther away from the Black Hills than when I started.
There have been many trends in the food industries in the past 20 years, but Mike Lee says at the end of the day, it is often emotions that help us decide how we eat. “We sell food one bite at a time,” he says.
Over the past two months at the time of this writing, U.S. beef packers had to implement new health protocols for dealing with COVID-19 that might have hindered their ability to process cattle.
In first-quarter 2020, beef production reached record levels on the largest number of cattle slaughtered for the quarter since 2002 and the heaviest dressed weights since 2016.
The evolution of agriculture marketing has drastically turned in recent years. Consumers are questioning everything that is put in front of them instead of taking news sources at face value. This provides ample opportunities for producers to encourage and promote agriculture as one of the most sustainable industries. Even in these unpredictable economic times, one thing holds true: People have to eat.
The spread of COVID-19 has caused shifts in the beef demand structure; coupled with global economic uncertainty, it is affecting the entire beef supply chain.
Falling cattle prices and both market and consumer unrest has increased the pressure from beef industry groups and lawmakers on the USDA to increase their investigations into the cattle markets.
