Welcome to the Friday edition of the HOT BARN REPORT
Heard ONLY on American radio stations across the nation and online at hotbarnreport.com!
Karina Jones, Field Director for R-Calf USA joins us each Friday from her ranch in the heart of Nebraska covering what’s new and important to the family farm and ranch.
As the US cowherd continues to shrink at the rate of snowball headed for…welcome to this Friday edition of Hot Barn report!
You and I all know that drought is only partially to blame for the massive US cowherd liquidation. Lack of profitability is not getting near enough attention. In 2020 –2021 we lost another 1000 cattle feeders, mostly those independent types that set the cash market. This was not due to drought, this was absolutely due to having no more chips to put in the middle, financially they had to fold.
This broken market structure is marked by years of super-inflated prices for the beef that moms and dads buy at their local grocery store and depressed cattle prices that America’s cattle producers receive from the marketplace. Prices that hovered around decade-old levels.
So in a feeble attempt to say, “we see you peasants,” lawmakers have constructed legislation that they think will appease the cattle industry. Only it has made us down right mad!
Watching the BIG 4 boast of record profits quarter over quarter, during a pandemic, while supplies of American fat cattle have been ample yet the market stagnant has been a fundamental market disaster for cattle producers. Talk about salt in the wound watching Brazilian beef imports soar, do I need to remind you that 2 of the 4 packers that these lawmakers are “compromising” with are Brazilian owned! You all can connect the dots!
Not only will it take up to two years before any mandatory minimum purchase requirements are established; but also, this legislation has authorized USDA to set the initial purchase requirements at the same levels as were realized on average during 2020 and 2021. The compromise bill will take us back and legally return and perpetuate the same take it or leave it bid structure of 20 and 21 that made another 1000 feedlots go out of business. Geez, why not just hand the Big 4 the title to rural America, you have already given them the keys!
Why aren’t we placing a HIGH priority on reforming the American beef industry so that American cattle producers can make a living wage, stay on the land, and produce the best beef in the world?
Hold the lawmakers to the fire and call your Senators and tell them to REJECT S.4030. The Senate Ag Committee is holding a hearing later this month on this legislation. The cattle industry needs to make it clear that if America wants a stable American cattle industry to supply this nation with the best quality beef in the world, DC is gonna have buck up and hold these corporations accountable to maintaining a fair and competitive market. Or they will reveal who they are really working for.
Big Sellman Ranch Production sale today out at Crawford Livestock! Great cattle and Great people that I grew up with! Get your eye on the big feeder calf sale Tuesday at North Platte Stockyards and bred stock & pair sale at Creighton Livestock. Monte will be back on Monday to fill you in on the sales Bassett, Presho, Lemmon, Platte, Mobridge, and Stockman’s Livestock. Buy and bid at CattleUSA.com
The HOTTEST sale barns in America
See more at HOT BARN REPORT
As always buy ’em up online at CattleUSA.com
Creighton Livestock Market
Lemmon Livestock, INC.
Presho Livestock Auction
Mobridge Livestock
Platte Livestock Market
Stockmen’s Livestock
Crawford Livestock Market
North Platte Stockyards
Bassett Livestock Auction
