Dr. Curt Lacy, UGA Extension Livestock Economist The cost to plant winter annuals this year is projected to be the about the same this year as last. While fertilizer prices are expected to decline in coming months, seed costs have actually increased slightly this year. As a result, establishment costs will be slightly higher than […]
Good news in August Cattle on Feed Report
The August USDA Cattle on Feed Report caught most analysts off guard with a very positive report on Friday, August 23. Three major surprises from the report were: Numbers of cattle placed in July were lower than expected, Number of cattle marketed were in-line or slightly higher than pre-report expectations, and Total numbers of cattle-on-feed […]
COW – On Farm Hay Stocks Historically Low
Dr. Curt Lacy (UGA) Recently USDA released the May 1 Hay Stocks numbers. This is an important statistic because it gives an idea of the ending hay inventory for the US. The next hay statistic that will be reported is the December 1 Hay Stocks which provides an estimate of the hay stocks entering winter. […]
Middle Meats Lead to Higher Beef Prices
Dr. Curt Lacy (UGA) In case you haven’t noticed, wholesale beef prices broke above $200/ Cwt. a few weeks ago and have yet to back up (Figure 1). While certainly most of this increase can be directly tied to Memorial Day and the beginning of “GrillingSeason,” there are also some other important points that should […]
National Pasture and Range Condition Starts Poorly
Dr. Curt Lacy (UGA) Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) Monday, May 6, 2013 was the first week pasture and range conditions were included in the USDA-NASS Crop Progress Report. After two years of drought, the 2013 season generally opened with poor conditions and delayed green-up. Overall, U.S. pasture and range conditions are much worse than […]