INDUSTRY NEWS

The cattle industry, like everyone else, is more than ready to move past 2020 and into a new year. While the industry will start the year with a new slate, there are numerous factors in place that will shape markets for, at least, the first few months of 2021. Cattle markets face a mix of opportunities and challenges as the new year begins.

On Dec. 18, the USDA Cattle on Feed report was released. The trade expectations told a consistent story of lower placements and marketings from a year ago.

Much of 2020 has been preoccupied with daily and weekly slaughter numbers, carcass weights and boxed beef prices, along with monthly cattle-on-feed dynamics. The intertemporal volatility through the year adds to the challenge of assessing what, exactly, is the situation regarding the cattle cycle and longer-term herd dynamics.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is announcing the release of a comprehensive industry feedyard audit tool. The Cattle Industry Feedyard Audit will serve as a standardized audit tool based on the sound science and common sense established in the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program.

U.S. global meat protein exports have continued to evolve in 2020. Some of the changes this year reflect ongoing trends in global meat markets, but the COVID-19 pandemic has also affected protein trade.

The USDA announced Dec. 11 the appointment of 28 members to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (CBB).