Drovers

After months of little movement, U.S. agriculture is beginning to see signs that Chinese soybean purchases are picking up again. But with U.S.-China tensions continuing to simmer, questions remain about whether those commitments will hold. Speaking Friday at the Iowa Economic Summit hosted by the Iowa Farm Bureau, former U.S. Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer said farmers should expect China to honor its recent agricultural purchase commitments, for now.

Cattle were lower again early Friday, hogs higher and grains mixed. Record Cattle Correction Live and feeder cattle futures were lower again on Friday which makes a record 15 days down in the August live cattle contract and a $20 correction. Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek says everybody’s looking for the bottom and wants to know if it is close. “Stairs up and the elevator down. It’s been brutal. It’s not acting like it’s bottoming here.

I wiped off the thin layer of dust that had settled upon the 30-year-old photo album. As I opened it up, the memories came flooding back. A younger version of myself stared back at me, full of big dreams and hopeful aspirations of changing the world in some little way. During the summer of 1996, my FFA judging team represented Washington, Iowa, in the International Livestock Judging Tour.

Soybean hulls are a byproduct feed that can replace 1.5 to 2 lb. of low- to medium-quality hay per pound fed, with an energy value nearly equal to corn — making them one of the most cost-effective ways for drought-stressed cattle producers to stretch limited forage supplies. Nebraska Extension Educator Aaron Berger says as drought conditions persist, cattle producers should consider feed resources that can complement low-quality forage.

Across Kansas this summer, high school athletes are attending camps, competing in summer leagues and logging extra reps in the weight room — all in pursuit of becoming stronger, faster and more prepared for the next season. Behind many of those efforts is a growing emphasis on sports nutrition and helping athletes understand how proper fueling supports performance both on and off the field.

There’s no shortage of transition planning advice floating around the ranching industry and for good reason, and each operation requires a tailored approach to most effectively pass down family values, natural resources, genetics, buildings and equipment to name a few items on the list. Personally, I find myself in what I view as a unique situation in the transition planning space.

For America’s livestock producers, a new legal challenge in the D.C. Circuit Court represents more than just paperwork; it’s a fight against ‘unreliable’ emission estimates that could leave family farms vulnerable to massive civil penalties and litigation.

Every summer, producers ask the same question: What should we spray? By the time adult flies are covering cattle, however, the next generation is often already developing somewhere else on the farm. According to Dr. David Prentice, veterinarian and technical consultant with Elanco Animal Health, successful fly control starts long before producers reach for an insecticide. “Fly populations are like icebergs,” he says. “The flies that we’re actually seeing are only about 20%.

Cattle producers looking at 2026 slaughter reports might see a simple 8.7% decline, but that top-line number masks a massive shift in how beef is being produced and retained. Record Weights Are Doing the Heavy Lifting Martinez points out that as cattle numbers have tightened, the industry has leaned on carcass weight to keep beef production from falling as fast as slaughter counts alone would suggest. The numbers back that up. Average dressed weights hit a record 902 lb.

Feeding margins were down in the face of a $7/head drop in the 5-Area Direct Steer prices last week. For the week, slaughter steer prices averaged $248/cwt. compared to $255.22/cwt. the prior week. In addition, break-evens are on the rise with substantially higher feeder cattle prices. Sterling’s estimated breakeven for cattle placed on feed last was $248/cwt. compared to $228/cwt. for cattle marketed last week. The average price of 750 to 800 lb.