US Pork Export Forecast is Unchanged
US - Pork production is raised as firstquarter slaughter and first-half carcass weights are expected to be higher than forecast last month.

New Way to Map Drought and Water Use
US - Every month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Center for Climate Prediction has a drought briefing by teleconference to identify the latest drought areas in North America,...

Weekly Roberts Market Report
US - A firmer US dollar and lower crude soybean oil prices hung over the market, writes Michael T. Roberts.

CME: Forecasts Revised as Droughts Damage Crops
US - As US farmers get ready for plantings this spring, they are keeping a close eye on the developing crops in South America. And for good reason, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Tyson Shows Rise in Sales
US - Tyson Foods has reported a rise in first quarter sales of 9.4 per cent compared to last year up to $8.3 billion.

Bigger, Leaner, Better Hogs Coming to Market
US - We like our sayings in threes. Blood, sweat and tears. Mo, Larry and Curly. I believe a three-word phrase also describes the market hogs of the past few years: Bigger, leaner, better, writes Steve...

Corn Markets Remain Unsettled
US - The 2011-12 corn marketing year is approaching the half-way point. At this time of year, prospects for marketing year consumption and ending stocks are often fairly clear and the market begins to...

Hog Prices End the Week on a Steady Note
US - Iowa State University calculations estimate the average cost of production in 2011 for farrow to finish operations at a record 65 cents per pound of live weight, writes Ron Plain.

CME: Job Growth Has Returned
US - Friday’s employment reports from the Bureau of Labour Statistics indicate that job growth has returned, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

NCBA Cattlefax: Hope for Strong 2012 Corn Harvest
ANALYSIS - There is a strong need for a successful 2012 corn harvest, as the US competes on global markets. Meanwhile global demand for ethanol is pushing US corn usage up, said the CattleFax team at the...

CME: What Can the Prices of Beef & Pork Cuts Tell Us
US - What can the prices of individual beef and pork cuts tell us about a) consumer preferences and b) the types of animals we should be raising? write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Addressing Land-Based Systems & Price Outlook
US - Information about the latest trends and research focused on staying competitive in the swine industry will take center stage at Kansas State University's 2012 Swine Profitability Conference on Tuesday, 28...

A Satellite to Feed the World?
US - It is ironic that just when Earth-monitoring satellites are needed more than ever to address the food and freshwater demands of a burgeoning global human population, we face an impending gap in coverage...

CME: Consumer Demand for Healthier Products
US - Consumer demand for more healthful products has driven hog and cattle producers to provide leaner and leaner animals to the market place — right?, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Pork Commentary: Iowa Pork Congress Report
US - The North American Swine Industry is mostly situated where grain and soybeans are grown. The high price of these crop commodities has increased farm land values in North America in there grain and...

Weekly Roberts Market Report
US - It would be a good idea for corn producers to consider pricing a portion of the 2012 corn crop at this time, writes Michael T. Roberts.

Pork's Demand Indicators Holding Strong
US - It appears 2011 domestic pork demand will end the year showing a gain compared to 2010. I say "it appears" because the final pieces of data – December pork exports and imports – will not be available...

Hog Outlook: Hog Prices Ended Last Week Evenly
US - Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR) data indicates that for barrows and gilts purchased in 2011 on a carcass weight basis by non-small packers, 4.2% were negotiated purchases, 38.4% were market formula...

CME: Margins Fall for Beef Packers/ Tighten for Pork
US - A hot point of discussion the past few weeks has been the status of packer margins in both the pork and beef sectors, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Groups Support US-EU Trade Agreement
US - A coalition of food and agricultural organisations led by the National Pork Producers Council expressed in a letter sent to the Office of the US Trade Representative its support for a free trade agreement...

US Hog Margins
US - Margins started 2012 off on a strong note, improving noticeably since the end of the year, writes Doug Lenhart.

Weekly Roberts Market Report
US - China has suspended imports of soybean oilmeal from India after finding contamination in rapeseed last year, writes Michael T. Roberts.

CME: Price-Quantity Relationship shows Export Impact
US - The impact of output reductions and higher exports for US beef and pork can be clearly seen when one considers the price-quantity relationships for 2011, writes Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Meat and Poultry Demand Struggles Continue
US - In this week's "Market Preview" featured in National Hog Farmer magazine, Steve Meyer discusses the meat and poultry demand situation in the US.

Corn Price Swings to Continue?
US - Since early October, corn prices have bounced in a wide trading range. March 2012 futures have traded between about $5.75 and $6.75 while December 2012 futures have been between about $5.35 and $6.20,...

Swine Herd Expansion Modest, Despite Profitability
US - Hog producers have remained cautious about expanding their breeding herds despite the industry's return to profitability – a wise decision considering there is still much economic uncertainty for...

US Hog Prices Record High in 2011
US - US hog prices were record high in 2011 and a big portion of the credit goes to international trade, writes Ron Plain.

Broadening Feedstocks Eligible for RFS
US - US Representative Pete Olson (Texas) is introducing bipartisan legislation to increase competition, stabilise food prices and enhance American energy security and global competitiveness.

Ingredients that Lower Feed Cost for Weanling Pigs
US - An extension swine specialist with Kansas State University says producers of weanling pigs can reduce feeding costs without sacrificing productivity by substituting less costly ingredients into their...

CME: Pork Production Forecast Higher in 2012
US - The latest WASDE forecasts for US beef, pork and poultry supplies in 2012 were little changed from December. There continues to be broad expectation that US meat protein supplies will be tighter...