Beef - General
The pain eased somewhat for cattle feeders last week, but losses remain more than $97 per head.
Cattle feeding margins took two steps back last week as cash cattle prices hover around what producers hope are the summer lows.
Last week saw dramatic improvement in cattle feeding margins, yet triple-digit losses remain.
A $6 per head decline in cattle feeding margins is tolerable, unless you were already losing $112.
With cash fed cattle prices tumbling $6 per cwt. last week an increase in cattle feeding losses was certain.
Cattle feeding margins took another tumble last week as cash fed cattle prices declined $2.40 per cwt.
Beef packer margins jumped into the black last week while cattle feeders saw their margins improve $88 per head, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
A $4 per cwt. rally in cash fed cattle prices reduced losses for fed cattle to less than $50 per head last week.
Beef packers saw their margins jump $51 per head higher last week, ending with profits more than $83.
Cattle feeding losses nearly doubled last week as cash fed cattle prices declined another $2 per cwt.
Cattle feeders hope the cash market found its bottom last week.
The adjectives have all been used to describe the despair that is cattle feeding. Last week was simply worse than the week before, which was a train wreck.
Calculated breakeven prices for cattle shipped from feedyards last week were $170.12, according to Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore.
Uncharted territory. That’s where America’s cattle feeding industry finds itself as fed cattle lose $611 per head.
Feedyard closeouts saw a $100 per head improvement last week, bringing losses under the $300 per head mark for the first time in months.
Another miserable week left many in the cattle feeding business on the brink of financial ruin.
After slicing more than 50% off the monstrous losses found a month ago, cattle feeders saw their margins slip $43 per further into the red last week with $2 per cwt. lower bids.
A $6-plus per cwt. gain in cash cattle prices produced a 20% improvement in feeding margins.
Cattle feeding margins improved by 50% over the past two weeks, and by 38% during the past week.
Cattle feeders generally expected margins to be much better by now. An anticipated spring rally that could have erased a lot of red ink has failed to materialize, leaving feedyard closeouts stuck in neutral with near $200 losses.
The march toward break even for cattle feeders stumbled last week as average losses increased $36 per head, leaving closeouts $113 in the red, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker.
Last week’s $2 per cwt. rally in cash fed cattle prices helped feedyard closeouts improve nearly $100 per head.
Cattle feeders turned a tidy profit for the second consecutive week.
Cattle feeders earned average profits of $68 per head last week, $30 per head more than the previous week.
Last week’s $2 per cwt. decline in cash cattle prices left feedyard margins at near breakeven levels.
Calling losses of $193 per head an improvement may be painful, but it’s accurate.
Last week’s $3 per cwt rally in cash fed cattle prices pulled feeding margins out of the red and cut beef packer profit margins by 20%.
Leverage shifting from feedyards to packers as summer begins.
The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker reports average cattle feeding closeouts were in the black last week, but with little room to spare.
Cash cattle prices held steady during the week ended August 2, but cattle feeding margins improved $12 per head.