THEE Hot Barn Report!
Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!!
Welcome to America’s Hot Barn Report now heard coast to coast and border to border
It is official, we have just confirmed our 12th reporting barn for the big fall run. We now blanket the great Northern beef belt from Motely, Minnesota to Torrington, Wyoming.
The Hot Barn Report is a fast paced and entertaining daily program covering the latest news and trends in the cattle industry, hosted by Monte James, a veteran rodeo announcer, radio host and industry expert! The Hot Barn Report features interviews with industry leaders, market analysts, producers and ranchers and features True Price Discovery from salebarns in Great Northern Beef Belt and across the nation.
Monte is on his way to Isabel, SD for the annual Lindskov’s LT Ranch bull sale, tomorrow, April 15th. You can view and buy in real time at DVAuction.com!
Now for this Special Friday Edition of the Hot Barn Report with Guest Host Karina Jones.
George Jones would say this cattle market is “hotter than a $2 pistol and turning every head in town!” This week in live cattle trade was one to write on the barn door!
At Basset Livestock Auction, 8 weight steers consistently dollared up over $1800 a head. The real head turner was the fat cattle auction at Stockman’s Livestock where new records were set including 1530 pound fats dropping the gavel at $1.85! There is a lot in the market to celebrate, mostly by economists and journalists, but for producers there is another side of the balance sheet that is darkening the mood.
Greg Ryken, owner of Stockman’s Livestock, painted a really accurate picture in a recent story printed in Tri-State Livestock News. Ryken stated, “Higher prices are likely due in part to the cattle liquidation in recent years,” he said. “But input costs keep increasing, too. This land is higher than, well, you know. By the time you rent pasture and then feed that cow the rest of the year, you are looking at maybe $200 per cow after paying for feed costs- and that doesn’t take into account death loss and other expenses,” While Ryken is cautiously optimistic about the current and future prices in his barn and elsewhere, he said the breakeven on cattle keeps rising, too. As cattle prices rise, feeders have to pay more to play the game. “Fat cattle finally got higher these past couple of weeks, but the feeders are following right with it. So it makes no difference, it’s just more money you’re playing with, but profit doesn’t change.”
I couldn’t agree more, Mr Ryken! Thanks for speaking to the truth of this situation. It still remains that our beef market will remain largely managed, not free and fair. We got here on the backs of the producers that liquidated not only due to drought but also lack of profitability. And despite these current market prices, profit remains elusive. The way the US is importing beef, they have no intention of helping us retain these live cattle values but instead importing cheap beef to displace our market.
According to the latest ERS Livestock Report, “January beef imports were a record for the month at 365 million pounds, up 4 percent from last year and the third-largest monthly import level overall. Compared to the 5-year average, January imports were up 38 percent.” And the American consumer will never know because the same government that allows these imports has protected beef importers by not passing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling.
Let’s give a shout out to these Diamond Dozen Hot Barns that power this program: Stockmens Livestock, Lemmon Livestock, North Platte Stockyards, St. Onge/Newell, Platte Livestock Market, Tri County Stockyards, Torrington Livestock, Creighton Livestock Market, Bassett Livestock Auction, Mobridge Livestock, Ogallala Livestock Auction Market, and Presho Livestock. Catch them all on CattleUSA.com.
Get the latest beef industry facts, statistics and stories showcasing the real ways your Checkoff dollars drive demand for beef here at home and around the globe. Visit drivingdemandforbeef.com
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