Cattle Outlook: Fed Cattle Prices Drop Slightly

<!–

–>

28.05.2012 21:30 “Agro Perspectiva” (Kyiv)

US — USDA’s latest Cold Storage report said there were 517.5 million pounds of beef in cold storage at the end of April. That is up 2.9 per cent from the month before, up 16.8 per cent from a year ago, and the most of any month since December 2006, writes Ron Plain, University of Missouri.

Ron Plain

USDA says 96% of corn acres had been planted by May 20. That compares to an average of 81% planted on that date and 75% planted on May 20, 2011. The first condition report of the year says 77% of the corn crop is in good or excellent condition. The Crop Progress report says 76% of the soybean crop was planted by May 20 compared to an average of only 42% on that date.

The May cattle on feed report said the number of cattle on feed May 1 in feed yards with a capacity of 1,000 head or more was down 0.6% from a year earlier. This is the first time the on-feed number has been below year-ago since May 2010. April placements were down 14.8% from a year earlier, the smallest for any April since 2002, and the lowest for any month since June 2009. Large feed yards have gained market share causing a disparity between marketings and fed cattle slaughter. April marketings from large feed yards were up 0.4%. Steer and heifer slaughter for April was down 4.3%. Over the last 15 months, marketings from the large lots included in the monthly cattle on feed surveys have averaged 4 percentage points above steer and heifer slaughter.

The choice carcass cutout value was higher this week. On Friday morning, the choice boxed beef carcass cutout value was $194.71/cwt, up $2.20 from the previous Friday. The select carcass cutout was down $1.20 from the previous week to $186.09/cwt of carcass weight.

Fed cattle prices were very slightly lower this week. Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $121.27/cwt, down 16 cents from last week, but up $16.16/cwt from the same week last year. Steer prices on a dressed basis averaged $193.50/cwt this week, also down 16 cents from a week ago, but up $22.94 from a year ago. Steer dressed prices are below the choice cutout value for the first time since the week ending on November 18.

This week’s cattle slaughter totaled 636,000 head, down 0.8% from the week before and down 5.6% from a year ago. The average dressed weight for steers for the week ending on May 12 was 835 pounds, up 3 pounds from the week before, up 13 pounds from a year ago, and above a year earlier for the 18th week in a row.

Oklahoma City feeder cattle prices were mostly $2 to $6 higher this week with the ranges for medium and large frame #1 steers: 400–450# $206-$216, 450–500# $189, 500–550# $186-$196.50, 550–600# $177-$189.50, 600–650# $162-$174, 650–700# $159.50-$168, 700–750# $154.50-$160, 750–800# $149-$158, 800–900# $141-$151.50, and 900–1000# $131.50-$144.25/cwt.

Cattle futures ended the week lower. The June live cattle contract settled at $117.65, down $1.67 from the previous Friday. The August contract lost $2.82 this week to end at $119.10.

http://www.thecattlesite.com/



22:00
Own-label food and drink NPD overtakes branded

21:30
Cattle Outlook: Fed Cattle Prices Drop Slightly

21:00
Dairy Month: Consumers Win with Dairy Products

20:30
Tunisian Feed Production Leaps Forward

20:00
Emerson in China for services trade promotion and free-trade talks

19:30
Australia and Malaysia sign free trade agreement

19:00
EU urged to implement welfare standards

18:30
Indian poultry market potential huge, report claims

18:00
Syngenta stands by $4.8bn chemical despite payout

17:52
Mykola Azarov: Ukraine has reached substantial progress in stabilizing the financial and economic situation

17:30
Currencies and Brazil weather fears shore up sugar

16:50
IGC cuts hopes for wheat stocks to four-year low

13:46
Ukraine to boost exports to Belarus to $7 billion

12:48
Hydrometeorological Center: High temperature will lead to reduction of early grain crops yield by 10-30%

10:21
Ukraine to simplify grain storage certification

09:34
Germany – top solar energy producer

08:02
Health Assembly wants to reduce deaths from world’s leading killer diseases

09:52
Parliament bans smoking in public places

08:02
Cheese of Ukrainian producers sent to Russia after examination

16:02
Presidents of Ukraine and Russia to meet in mid-July in Yalta, Crimea

14:37
Issues of VAT refunds and investment climate in focus of IMF mission in Ukraine

13:48
Landkom acquisition update

11:25
Small business is free from inspections till the yearend

10:23
EU introduces financial transaction tax

09:17
ILO forum addresses growing problem of youth unemployment

08:02
UN body calls for a sea change in policies to protect marine biodiversity

17:12
Ukraine, Kazakhstan to cooperate in all key spheres of economy

13:18
Smoking, cigarette advertising forbidden during EURO 2012

12:26
Kyiv to host meeting of Ukrainian-Chinese agrarian subcommittee

10:23
Ukraine seeks to cooperate with IMF under Stand-By Arrangement

09:34
Green economy should help create decent jobs, says Ban Ki-moon

08:02
International Day for Biological Diversity focuses on oceans

18:29
Valeriy Khoroshkovsky: Ukraine and Kazakhstan should use all the possibilities of trade and economic cooperation

13:54
Ukraine to supply Saudi Arabia with barley

11:49
Spring cultures sowed on 99% of acreage in Ukraine

10:21
Customs, Tax services of Ukraine conclude information cooperation agreement

09:27
Putin announces new government

08:02
ILO reports rise in youth unemployment

18:04
Azarov urges to cheapen the implementation of energy saving technologies

17:08
Agrarian Ministry: Government ensures stability of prices on food market

16:17
President Yanukovych leaves for US

10:17
Russia to end overdependence on oil exports

09:14
Fighting dengue fever with genetically modified mosquitoes and vaccines

08:02
Governments urged not to abandon commitment to sustainable development

18:14
Nothing endangers hryvnia stability

17:16
Procedure to obtain permissive documents for international transportation to be simplified for entrepreneurs

13:41
Mykola Azarov is going to control drafting a law on foreign investments protection

12:34
World economic congress in Dnipropetrovsk gathers luminaries of economics

10:12
Ukraine treats OSCE presidency seriously

09:20
Greece is struggling to stop bank float and to stay in the Eurozone


Also available: