Yesterday, WPI covered the export demand for pork, and how that could help support hog prices moving forward, along with some other factors like lower feed costs. Below is a look at cattle prices and domestic beef demand. Cattle prices remain at record levels, surpassing the previous records of 2014 and 2015.
For context, the cattle herd entering 2024 is the smallest since 1951, as beef demand remains strong. Notably, the previous low point for the cattle herd in 2014 was the lowest since 1952, yet beef demand was not as strong a decade ago. Beef production hit records in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Production decreased in 2023 year-over-year for the first time in seven years, albeit down from a record level, due to a small...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...