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Record High U.S. Red Meat Production in October

December 1, 2020

Bloomberg writer Dominic Carey reported earlier this month that, “U.S. red-meat production surged to a record in October, months after the coronavirus disrupted slaughterhouses. “Production reached 5.09 billion pounds, up 8.1% from September and 0.4% from a year earlier, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed [on November 19th]. That marked the highest since the monthly data started in 1944.” The Bloomberg article stated […]

Farmer Sentiment Pulls Back Post-election

December 1, 2020

U.S. farmers sentiment weakened following the November 2020 elections, as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 16 points from a month earlier to a reading of 167. Although this month’s reading was nearly equal to the pre-pandemic high set back in February, it was 9 percent lower than the sentiment reading taken just two weeks […]

USDA Agricultural Trade Outlook-FY 2021 U.S. Exports Forecast Up $11.5 Billion

November 26, 2020

On Monday, the USDA released its Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, a quarterly report from the Department’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Economic Research Service (ERS).  Today’s update includes highlights from the report, which was coordinated by Bart Kenner and Hui Jiang. The Outlook stated that, “U.S. agricultural exports in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 are projected at $152.0 billion, up […]

Factors Taming China’s Demand for Imported Pork, as Supplies Build in Europe

November 24, 2020

Wall Street Journal writer Lucy Craymer reported late last week that, “China’s voracious appetite for imported meat is starting to wane, as domestic pork prices fall and consumer worries grow about the coronavirus lingering on food. “For more than two years, Chinese farmers have battled outbreaks of African swine fever, a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease that reduced the […]

Amino Acid Helps Shore Up Defenses of Swine

November 19, 2020

A third round of feeding trials conducted by a team of USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has again shown that a dietary supplement called L-glutamine can naturally promote growth and wellness in pigs. Jay S. Johnson, an animal scientist with ARS’s Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana, and his Purdue […]

Now is Time to Plan for 2021 Grazing Season

November 10, 2020

The 2020 growing season was drier than average, with the majority of North Dakota receiving below-average precipitation throughout the season. As a result, 65% of the state is experiencing drought, and an additional 27% is considered abnormally dry. Ranchers have reported up to 60% reductions in forage production on pasture, range and hay land due […]

Rising Feed Prices Affect Backgrounding Decisions

November 5, 2020

As feed prices rise, calf prices tend to trend lower, according to Karl Hoppe, the North Dakota State University Extension livestock systems specialist based at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center. Feed prices have risen since last summer. For example, corn prices have increased $1 per bushel in some North Dakota markets. Backgrounding cattle is a […]

German Pork “Effectively Trapped in Europe” Due to African Swine Fever, as China Rebuilds Herds

November 4, 2020

Late last week, Bloomberg News reported that, “China is flying in record numbers of pigs to improve genetics and boost productivity while rapidly rebuilding the nation’s hog population after it was decimated by African swine fever. “Some 15,346 live swine worth $32 million arrived by air in the first nine months of the year, customs data show. That’s an all-time high, according to Genesus Inc., an […]

China Has Purchased 71% of Its Phase One Target and Could Issue More Corn Import Permits

October 27, 2020

A news release from USDA on Friday stated that, “The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and [USDA] today issued a report highlighting the progress made to date in implementing the agricultural provisions in the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, which is delivering historic results for American agriculture. “Since the Agreement entered into force, the United States and China […]

Federal Reserve: Observations on the Ag Economy- October 2020

October 22, 2020

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Board released its October 2020 Beige Book update, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. The report included several observations pertaining to the U.S. agricultural economy. * Sixth District- Atlanta– “Agricultural conditions remained weak. While drought- free conditions prevailed in most parts of the District, some producers reported crop and […]