Easing Meat Market Competition Presents Opportunities Of Potential Profit Taking For Beef Producers

Jan 24, 2017

For beef producers, this may be a year of potential profitability, so Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays has been told by Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center.

“I think we’re very close to black ink. We’ve had a very solid rally in the cash live cattle market,” Robb remarked, adding that, “Calves and yearlings have followed along suit.”

That rally, which has sustained since early December, has been very beneficial for the industry, says Robb. With prices in both feeder cattle and feed commodities down, he expects to see a consistent flow of “black ink” into the cattle feeding sector as early as February. He says modest year-over-year declines in prices will still likely occur in 2017 and into 2018, but assures barring any unforeseen complications, the markets should not experience any drops like those that happened last year as pressure eases from competing meats this year.

Click here to see more...

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.