Brownfield Ag News

Trevor Carolan was nominated as a Beck’s Player with Heart for his commitment and passion on and off the field and mat. He expressed that the thing he loves most about high school sports is being able to compete with a group of people who, over time, have become his friends and, most importantly, his brothers. The sports Trevor actively competes in are football, track and field, and wrestling. Outside of sports, he participates in FFA and Skills USA. When Trevor is not competing or working in school, he has volunteered in his community by working for his church and other churches, as well as participating in FFA community service. Trevor believes agriculture is the world’s fuel. This means that without the great area of agriculture, the world wouldn't survive. Agriculture is the fuel and lifeblood of the world and economy. After graduating high school, Trevor plans to attend Upper Iowa University and major in ag education and plans to compete in their football team. 

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Missouri Soybean Farmers and their checkoff promote the Missouri Partnership's success in attracting food and beverage companies. Missouri Partnership CEO Subhash Elias explains how his organization lands businesses like beef processor American Foods Group. 

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On this episode of Weekly Livestock Market Update, Brownfield's Meghan Grebner talks with Mississippi State University ag economist Josh Maples about cattle on feed, livestock slaughter, and the reinstatement of an important USDA cattle report.

Market highlights:

Live steer prices ended the week at 209.15/cwt for the 5-market average which was up $3.85 from a week ago. The April live cattle futures contract was up $4.05 from a week ago to $207.23/cwt, and the April feeder cattle futures price was up 4.50 per cwt on the week to $285.70. Choice box beef was at $325.52 at the end of this week, which is up $5.95 from last week. Cash hogs were down 19 cents to $87.07/cwt. February lean hog futures were down 58 cents to $86.05/cwt on the week. The pork cutout value was down 77 cents from a week ago, to $96.24/cwt this week.

Weekly Slaughter:

At the end of the week, cattle slaughter was 560,000 head, down 4 percent or 24,000 head from last week, and down 33,000 head from the same week last year. Hog slaughter was 2.428 million head, down 3 percent or 81,000 from the previous week and down 93,000 head (4 percent) compared to year ago.

Cattle on Feed:

The February Cattle on Feed report was released on Friday and showed lower numbers across the board. The total inventory of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 or more head capacity on March 1 was estimated at 11.6 million head. This was down 2% from compared to March 1, 2024. Placements during February dropped sharply, down 18 percent from February 2024. Fed cattle marketed during February totaled 1.6 million head. This was 9 percent below February 2024.

Placements were lower in every reported state except for Washington. The largest year-over-year decline in placements occurred in Kansas (100,000 head fewer or down 22 percent), Texas (95,000 head fewer or down 27 percent), and Nebraska (65,000 head fewer or down 13 percent). The decline in placements was not unexpected. Pre-report estimates showed an expectation of a 15 percent decline. While the number of cattle available to place is certainly part of the story, the winter storms in 2024 caused irregular placement shifts last year which contributes to the year-over-year comparisons to being so large. There was also an extra day in February 2024 due to the leap year.

Livestock Slaughter:

The monthly Livestock Slaughter report was released by USDA-NASS on Thursday. The report showed February cattle slaughter totaled 2.3 million head which was 11 percent lower than in February 2024. Cattle weights were again a key point in this report and the average live weight was up to 1,432 pounds which is 48 pounds above a year ago.

The report showed February hog slaughter totaled 10.2 million head which was 7 percent lower than in February 2024. The average hog weight was up 1 pound from February 2024.

The return of the July Cattle Inventory Report:

Josh and Meghan talk about the importance of USDA's announcement that the July Cattle Inventory and County Estimate reports would return.

Next week's report:

» Cold Storage

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Brownfield Ag News is your trusted source for reliable agriculture news, market trends, weather updates, and expert interviews. Get comprehensive coverage and stay ahead in the ever-evolving agriculture industry.

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Molly Scherzer was nominated as a Beck’s Player with Heart for her commitment and passion on and off the court. She loves many things about playing high school sports, such as her teammates and her memories with them. Volleyball provides a fun and competitive environment that allows her to play the sport she loves while developing her work ethic, physical growth, social interaction, and other life lessons. She also loves the bond her team has. They always have each other's backs and cheer each other on, and their friendship will carry on for the rest of their lives. Molly competes in volleyball and she is involved in Beta, Pep Club, FCA, and Educators Rising. Outside of school and sports, she has been a member of 4-H for 10 years, a camp counselor, the club president, a religion teacher, a volunteer at church picnics, a coach for 5th and 6th-grade volleyball, and a volunteer at volleyball camps for kids. Agriculture means a lot to Molly because she has grown up on a farm her entire life and both sides of her extended family are farmers. This experience taught her responsibility, a strong work ethic, problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for the environment. She is thankful for the opportunity to raise her own sheep herd and show goats and swine. After graduating high school, Molly plans to attend the University of Southern Indiana and earn a degree in elementary education. 

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Sierra Hawley was nominated as a Beck’s Player with Heart for her commitment and passion on and off the court. Along with the good and bad experiences that sports have put her through, she would say the thing she loves most about high school sports is the way these experiences have shaped her and will continue to impact her for the rest of her life. Sports at her high school is something that brings the community together as a whole, and it's an amazing feeling to see a full crowd support her. She loves the feeling of stepping on the field or court, knowing that all her hard work is about to be tested. No one likes to lose, but she’s come to realize that she learns the most from losing, and she can't grow until she fails. Beyond the competition aspect, high school sports have allowed her to surround herself with teammates and coaches who have pushed and supported her through everything. The countless hours of dedication she’s given to three different sports over the last few years have taught her discipline, leadership, resilience, and teamwork. At school, Sierra is involved in varsity volleyball, basketball, and tennis. Outside of sports, she is involved in the National Honor Society (NHS), Spanish club, art club, Student Council, prom committee, and FFA. Outside school, she is involved in Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy (KYLA), Leadership Marshall County Emerge (LMC), 4-H, and Jr. Leaders. Sierra's KYLA group puts boxes in local schools, churches, and banks to collect donated clothing, hygiene items, and craft supplies, which they then set up a little "shop" at Cardinal Services in Warsaw. Cardinal provides services for children and adults with disabilities. With the remaining donations, they bring them to local homeless shelters. Her involvement with Jr. Leaders through 4-H has allowed her to participate in various community service projects such as volunteering at the humane society, local food pantries, and Cultivate Food Rescue. In FFA, she completes many community service projects as well. Every year she makes tie blankets to give to Riley’s Children's Hospital, participates in roadside cleanup, and attends the Farmers Breakfast, where they make pancakes and sausage for their local farmers to come in and eat for free. Most people think agriculture is just farming, but it means more to Sierra. To her, it means hard work, responsibility, and a way of life that feeds and sustains her community. Being involved in 4-H and FFA for eight years has given her hands-on experience that has deepened her respect for the farmers and agricultural leaders of the world. Whether she's raising livestock or working on a 4-H project, she’s come to understand the dedication it takes to succeed in agriculture. It has taught her leadership, problem-solving, and the importance of innovation in this advancing industry. In a way, agriculture brings communities together and she is proud to say she’s a part of something that plays such a vital role in everyday life. Sierra's plans aren't fully set in stone, but she knows she wants to do something in the medical field so she can help people. As of right now, she wants to pursue a career in radiology and potentially attend the University of IU Bloomington.

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Brownfield Commodity Market Reporter John Perkins has your look at the higher start in cattle and the opening losses in soybeans, corn, wheat, and hogs.

What to watch:

» Soybeans and corn are watching South America.

» Wheat's down with rain chances in the Black Sea region.

» Cattle are supported by direct business and the on feed numbers.

» Hogs are pressured by demand questions.

Connect with Brownfield Ag News:

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About Brownfield Ag News:

Brownfield Ag News is your trusted source for reliable agriculture news, market trends, weather updates, and expert interviews. Get comprehensive coverage and stay ahead in the ever-evolving agriculture industry.

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Growers have experienced the advantages of Enlist E3 soybeans, and now they can expand those benefits to their corn acres with Enlist corn. Corteva Agriscience Market Development Specialist, Jeff Moon, says Vorceed Enlist and PowerCore Enlist corn combine insect control and weed control to help keep plants thriving throughout the season.

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On this episode of Agriculture Today, we’ll learn about far-reaching repercussions of tariffs, calls for transparency in federal cuts, those cuts causing unprecedented instability in ag, potential seed supply shortages, short planting windows for some, and the latest cattle on feed numbers.

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Brownfield's Mark Dorenkamp interviews Casey Staloch, with Albert Lea Seed Company, at the North American Farm and Power Show in Owatonna, Minnesota.

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On this episode of Outdoor Adventures, TOPHAT Jigs owner Derek Martin from Illinois joins Brent Barnett for a conversation about spring crappie fishing. He gives some tips on the best ways to catch crappies early in the spring.

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