Livestock Risk Partners

Swine viral pathogens such as PRRSV and PEDV pose significant economic challenges to the swine industry.

Key reports that farmers should watch which could have significant impacts on commodity markets the week of March 23, 2025.

The one-page publication IBC 150 is available at no charge from the ISU Extension store.

The top purchasers of U.S. beef last year were Japan, 641 million pounds, South Korea, 630 million pounds, and China (excluding Hong Kong), 475 million pounds (Figure 2). The only countries purchasing more beef in 2024 compared to 2023 were Mexico (+8%) and Taiwan (+4%). Japan’s purchases were largely unchanged (+.03%) while South Korea, China,

“The return of the July Cattle Report and County Estimates is a big win for cattle producers who utilize these reports to efficiently run their operations and make important marketing decisions.

The School of Agriculture utilizes this event as a hands-on teaching tool.

At midday Friday, the Choice cutout was $317.87 down $1.82 from Thursday and up $3.56 from a week ago. The Select cutout was $306.32 down $1.15 from Thursday and up $0.23 from a week ago. The Choice Select spread was $11.55 compared to $8.22 a week ago.

Fed cattle prices increased sharply this week, with significant trading activity on Friday. Beef cutout values showed resilience, supporting a strong market outlook.

While lower slaughter numbers are not surprising, there are some interesting things happening in the cattle industry. Will Secor, Extension ag economist with the University of Georgia, says two things are emerging. “First, the distribution of the cattle being processed is shifting. And second, beef production is a bit higher than last year despite this

The USDA’s recent decision to permanently increase pork plant line speeds has been met with approval from the National Pork Producers Council, highlighting benefits to producers and consumers alike.