WLI

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was at a standstill in Kansas and the Northern Plains through Tuesday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Elsewhere, trade was very limited with very light demand; too few transactions to trend.

Feeder Cattle futures extended gains Tuesday, helped along by softer Corn and Soybean futures. Live Cattle mostly edged lower.

Live Cattle futures closed an average of 26¢ lower, except for from 45¢ to $1.15 higher in the front three contracts.

Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.44 higher, except for 17¢ lower in spot Jan. That’s mainly an average of $3.46 higher in the last two trading sessions.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was $2.45 higher through Tuesday afternoon at $217.49/cwt. Select was 60¢ higher at $206.44.

Corn futures closed 4¢ to 7¢ lower through the front six contracts, and then mostly 2¢ to 4¢ higher toward the back.

Soybean futures closed 23¢ to 31¢ lower through the front four contracts, mostly 7¢ to 8¢ lower through the next five contracts and then mostly 1¢ lower.

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Major U.S. financial indices closed higher Tuesday, amid chatter from the pending new Administration about another round of economic stimulus.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 116 points higher. The S&P 500 closed 30 points higher. The NASDAQ was up 198 points.

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Although forecasts indicate increased year-over-year domestic red meat and poultry production, analysts with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) expect per capita meat disappearance to decline about 1%, due to increased exports and reduced beef imports.

“Availability is the disappearance on the domestic market of what remains after exports and ending stocks are subtracted from the sum of production, beginning stocks, and imports. Dividing this amount by the U.S. population yields per capita disappearance,” explain ERS analysts, in the latest monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook (LDPO).

Beef production for this year was projected lower than the previous month at 27.2 billion lbs. but still would be more than in 2020.

“This adjustment was based in part on fewer fed cattle to be slaughtered in second-quarter 2021 as a result of lower expected placements in fourth-quarter 2020,” say ERS analysts. “Further, higher feed costs in 2021 are expected to negatively impact cattle carcass weights.”

According to USDA, from January through November of last year, total cattle slaughter was about 3% less than the previous year. Average carcass weights were about 3% heavier, though, which mostly offset decreased slaughter, in terms of beef production.

“Live steer prices in the five-area marketing region for the first week of January were reported at $111.27/cwt., more than $13 below last year for the same week and the lowest January starting price since 2011,” say ERS analysts. “However, the annual price forecast for 2021 was raised $0.50 to $115.50/cwt. on lower expected production and expected improved packer demand in 2021.”

USDA projects the average five-area direct fed steer price at $113 in the first and second quarters, at $115 in the third quarter and at $120 in the fourth quarter.

On the other end of the trade, ERS analysts say the average feeder steer price last year was about 5% less than the previous year at $135.45/cwt. That’s basis a 750-800 lb. steer selling at Oklahoma National Stockyards.

“Prices in the first two weeks of January 2021 averaged $134.81, about 7% below the monthly average for January 2020,” ERS analysts say. “To the extent that prices at the beginning of 2021 were higher than expected, the first-quarter 2021 forecast was raised $1 to $134/cwt. However, higher expected feed costs lowered expectations for prices the rest of the year, and as a result the annual price forecast for feeder steers was lowered $1 to $137.”

Specifically, the average feeder steer price is projected at $134/cwt. in the first and second quarters, $139 in the third quarter and $140 in the fourth quarter for an annual average of $136.75.

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was at a standstill in all major cattle feeding regions through Monday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Live prices were generally $1-$3 lower last week at $108-$111/cwt. Dressed prices were $1-$4 lower at $172-$174.

The average five-area direct fed steer price last week was $109.52/cwt. on a live basis, which was $1.75 less than the previous week and $14.51 less than the same week last year. The average dressed steer price of $173.06 was $2.73 less than the prior week and $25.98 less than the prior year.

Futures and equity markets were closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was $2.12 higher Monday afternoon at $215.04/cwt. Select was $2.76 higher at $205.84.

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“As high feed prices push feedlot cost of gain up, feedlots have an incentive to buy more pounds and place heavier feeder cattle,” says Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, in his weekly market comments.  “Thus, the cattle industry responds to corn market signals to use less corn by placing cattle at heavier weights and using other (i.e. forage) feeds to add additional weight to cattle prior to feedlot placement. This is the advantage (and necessity!) of the cattle industry to use the ruminant capabilities of cattle to respond to the corn market situation. If all the cattle finished in feedlots in 2021 (that would have been fed anyway) are placed, say, an average of 100 lbs. heavier, the amount of reduction in total concentrate feed use is significant.”

Peel provides context for the extraordinary climb in feed costs—demand rationing—using cash corn prices in Dodge City, which averaged $3.41/bu. from January through September of last year. The price was more than $4 by mid-October and at $5.44 in mid-January.

“When feedlots demand heavier cattle, prices for lighter weight feeder cattle will decline relative to heavier cattle,” Peel explains. “For example, the price of 825 lb. steers in Oklahoma is currently about $131/cwt. When corn is, say, $3.65/bu., feedlots would be willing to pay roughly $155/cwt. for a 575 lb. steer, based on the cost of gain to put on the 250 lbs. from 575 to 825 lbs. When corn price increases to, say, $5.35/bu., the increased cost of gain means that the feedlot would only be willing to pay roughly $146/cwt. for a 575 lb. steer, even though the price of the 825 lb. steer has not changed.  Of course, higher feed prices likely also means that the overall feeder cattle price level will decline as well. 

“The change in feedlot demand for light versus heavy weight feeder cattle simultaneously provides incentives for stocker producers to add the needed additional weight to feeder cattle. In the example above, the value of stocker gain is roughly $0.75/lb. when corn is $3.65/bu. but increases to $0.97/lb. when corn price increases to $5.35/bu.

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was at a standstill in the Southern Plains and Colorado through Friday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Elsewhere, it was mostly inactive on very light demand.

Live prices were generally $1-$3 lower last week at $108-$111/cwt. Dressed prices were $1-$4 lower at $172-$174.

For the week:

Texas Panhandle: $110-$111/cwt.  1-2 lower

Kansas: $109-$111  1-3 lower

Nebraska: $109-$110 on a live basis; $172 dressed. Steady to 1 lower and $4 lower

Colorado: $109 1-2 lower

Western Corn Belt: $108-$109 on a live basis; $173-$174 dressed.

Through Thursday, the average five-area direct fed steer price was $109.52/cwt. on a live basis, which was $1.96 less than the previous week and $14.48 less than the same week a year earlier. The average steer price in the beef was $173.06, which was $2.96 less than the previous week and $26.01 less than a year earlier.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was 45¢ lower Friday afternoon at $212.92/cwt. Select was $2.01 higher at $203.08. 

Total estimated cattle slaughter for the week of 651,000 head was the same as a week earlier and 18,000 head more than the same week a year earlier. Estimated beef production for the week of 544.8 million lbs. was 22.3 million lbs. more than the previous year.

The average dressed steer weight the week of Jan. 2 of 920 lbs. was 7 lbs. heavier than the previous week and 8 lbs. heavier than the same week a year earlier, according to the USDA Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection report. The average dressed heifer weight of 851 lbs. was 12 lbs. heavier than the previous week and 19 lbs. heavier than the prior year.

Cattle futures closed higher Friday. Bottom feeding might be one of the drivers, as was stronger wholesale beef values, rising open interest and a pause to increasing Corn futures.

Live Cattle futures closed an average of 93¢ higher, from 45¢ to $1.32 higher.

Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $2.02 higher.

Corn futures closed 2¢ to 3¢ lower through the front three contracts, and then mostly 1¢ to 3¢ higher.

Soybean futures closed 12¢ to 13¢ lower through the front three contracts, and then mostly 1¢ to 5¢ higher.

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Major U.S. financial indices closed lower Friday. Pressure included a more negative outlook of consumer retail sales than the trade expected. Also, increasing global movement restrictions, due to escalating COVID-19 cases, weighed on the energy sector.

Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December were 0.7% less than the previous month, but 2.9% more than the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 177 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 27 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 114 points.

CME WTI Crude Oil futures closed $1.05 to $1.21 lower through the front six contracts.

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“Much uncertainty continues but assuming no major new global health or economic disruptions, U.S. beef trade is expected to be supportive in 2021,” says Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, in his weekly market comments (Jan. 11).

As reported in Cattle Current, U.S. beef exports stormed back in November, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

November beef exports totaled 115,337 metric tons (mt), up 6% from a year earlier and the most since July 2019. Export value climbed 8% year-over-year to $707.5 million.

“Demand for U.S. beef in the global retail sector has been outstanding and we expect this to continue in 2021,” says USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Unfortunately, foodservice continues to face COVID-related challenges. We expect a broader foodservice recovery this year, especially from mid-2021, but will likely still see interruptions in some markets.”

Through November, beef exports were 6% lower year-over-year in volume (1.13 million mt) and down 7% in value ($6.9 billion). January-November muscle cut exports were 3% below 2019 in volume (883,012 mt) and 6% lower in value ($6.11 billion).

“Beef exports are forecast to be modestly higher year over year, returning roughly to 2019 levels. Beef imports are currently forecast to decrease from the 2020 spike to pre-COVID levels or perhaps a bit lower,” Peel says. “Numerous factors will affect U.S. and global beef trade in 2021 including exchange rates, continuing demand for beef in China, the rebuilding of the Australian beef industry, continuing trade tensions between China and Australia/New Zealand and Mexico’s economic situation.”

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was at a standstill in Colorado through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Elsewhere, it was limited on light demand with too few transactions to trend.

For the week so far:

Texas Panhandle: $110-$111/cwt.

Kansas: $109-$110

Nebraska: $109-$110 on a live basis; $172 dressed.

Colorado: $109

Western Corn Belt: $108-$109 on a live basis; $173-$174 dressed.

Cattle futures were mixed Thursday, with Feeder Cattle losing ground beneath the weight of another surge higher in grain prices, while more positive supply fundamentals in the second quarter helped bolster deferred Live Cattle.

Live Cattle futures closed an average of 68¢ higher, except for an average of 19¢ lower in the front three.

Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of 64¢ lower except for 15¢ higher in the back contract.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was $2.37 higher Thursday afternoon at $213.37/cwt. Select was $2.01 higher at $201.07.

Strong exports continue to support corn and soybean prices, according to the latest USDA U.S. Export Sales report for the week ending Jan. 7.

Net U.S. corn export sales of 1.44 million metric tons (mt) for 2020-21 were 92% more than the previous week and 34% more than the prior four-week average.

Net U.S. soybean export sales of 908,000 mt for 2020-21 were up noticeably from the previous week and up 93% from the prior four-week average.

Corn futures closed 9¢ to 10¢ higher through the front three contracts, and then 1¢ to 5¢ higher.

Soybean futures closed 20¢ to 25¢ higher through Jan ‘22, and then mostly 10¢ to 16¢ higher.

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Major U.S. financial indices closed a touch lower Thursday, ahead of incoming President Biden’s announcement about plans for another round of federal stimulus.

Initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending Jan. 9 were 965,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. That was 181,000 more than the previous week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 68 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 14 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 16 points.

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“Improving the traceability and sustainability of our supply chain is one of Wendy’s® key priorities. When it comes to beef, the first step is reaching further back into our supply chain to create visibility into the animals we source for our food, and to verify how they were raised and treated,” says Liliana Esposito, Chief Communications Officer for The Wendy’s  Company.

Wendy’s is accomplishing that in partnership with the Progressive Beef program, which increases transparency and provides third-party verification that the cattle were raised in accordance with strict animal welfare and sustainability standards. The Progressive Beef program is built around three core pillars including animal welfare, food safety and sustainability; and transparency and traceability are critical to achieving progress in these areas.

Wendy’s announced Thursday that 40% of its U.S. fresh, never frozen beef supply was sourced from Progressive Beef™-certified feedlots at the end of last year, which was 15% more than the previous year. The company’s goal is to source  more than 50% of its supply from cattle raised under the Progressive Beef program in 2021.

“Over time, we believe this transparency and record- keeping will enable us to measure and improve our impact on a variety of sustainability metrics, including medical treatment and antibiotic use, and water and land use,” Esposito says.

“Wendy’s is a longtime leader in the restaurant industry, and we were delighted to have them as our first restaurant chain partner,” says John Butler, Chief Executive Officer of Progressive Beef, LLC. “Today’s consumers want to know where their food comes from and that the cattle were ethically and sustainably raised. We are proud to offer Wendy’s a solution to meet the company’s goal of a more transparent and traceable fresh beef supply chain; a program that we believe to be the industry gold standard and way of the future.”

Negotiated cash fed cattle prices for the week, through Wednesday afternoon, were $1-$3 less than the previous week on a live basis and $2-$3 lower in the beef, according to data from the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Live prices were $1 lower than the previous day and $2 less than the previous week in the Texas Panhandle at $110/cwt. Prices in Kansas were $1-$3 lower at $109-$111. Live prices in Nebraska the previous day were at $109-$111, which was steady to $1 lower than the previous week; dressed trade was $2-$3 lower at $173-$174. Live prices were $3 lower in Colorado at $109. Live prices in the western Corn Belt on Tuesday were at $108-$109, which was $1-$2 lower than the previous week; dressed trade was $3 lower at $174-$177.

Feeder Cattle futures mostly edged higher Wednesday, with Feeder Cattle recovering some of the previous session’s steep losses. Higher wholesale beef values also helped Live Cattle to firm after the front months.

Live Cattle futures closed mainly narrowly mixed but mostly higher, from an average of 22¢ lower in the front two contracts to an average of 35¢ higher.

Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of 61¢ higher.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was $1.86 higher Wednesday afternoon at $211.00/cwt. Select was 97¢ higher at $199.06.

Corn futures closed 7¢ to 8¢ higher through the front three contracts, and then mostly 3¢ to 4¢ lower.

Soybean futures closed 6¢ to 12¢ lower through Sep ‘21, and then mostly 1¢ to 4¢ higher.

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Major U.S. financial indices closed narrowly mixed Wednesday amid news including the rise in COVID-19 cases and the political fiasco in the nation’s capitol. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 8 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 8 points higher. The NASDAQ was up 56 points.

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Last year, the U.S. restaurant industry experienced its steepest decline since the Great Depression , according to the NPD Group (NPD). But, restaurant transactions continued to show improvement in December.

Customer transaction declines at major restaurant chains in December were down 10% compared to the same period a year ago. That was a 27-point improvement from April, the height of the shelter-at-home and restaurant dine-in closure mandates, when transactions declined by 37% from a year earlier, according to NPD’s CREST^®Performance Alerts.

Full service restaurant chains, which primarily rely on dine-in customers and had few if any off-premises services when the dine-in restrictions went into effect, bore the brunt of the transaction declines throughout the pandemic. In April, the segment’s customer transactions declined by 70% year over year; transactions improved to 30% less year over year in December.

Many full service restaurant chains quickly pivoted to offer more off-premises services by turning parking lots into drive-thru stations, offering curbside pick-up, and enhancing delivery options. For full service restaurants now, it’s about government restrictions. In more restrictive states, full service restaurant chain transactions are down 60% to 70%. In less restrictive states, there isn’t as much of a gap between quick service and full service restaurants.

Major quick service restaurant chains, which represent the bulk of restaurant industry transactions, learned to expand their already high capacity for off-premises volumes. The chains’ carry-out, drive-thru, and delivery orders soared throughout the pandemic as consumers looked for relief from preparing most of their meals at home. At their ebb in April, quick service customer transaction declines were 35% less year over year. They quickly improved as shelter-at-home orders were lifted. In December, quick service restaurant chain customer transaction declines were down  8% versus the same month a year earlier.

“The struggles of the restaurant industry are well documented and we acknowledge that some operators have not survived the pandemic,” says David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor. “But history has shown that consumers will always value the convenience, quality, and experience of restaurant meals, and the operators that deliver against these expectations have proven it’s a winning formula in good or bad times. Our industry is resilient and consumer demand for restaurants remains strong.”