New USDA cattle numbers are giving the market something to chew on heading into spring. Reports indicate February feedlot placements were higher than a year ago, while marketings were lower. On paper, that combination can hint at more cattle moving into the feeding pipeline and fewer leaving it—at least for the month. For Montana, the […]
Grain futures ended the week on the back foot, with soybeans, corn, and wheat all posting losses in late-week trade. Market reports point to a mix of routine profit taking, chart-driven selling, and continued attention on global supply and demand signals—especially South American harvest progress and the pace of export business. For Montana, the day-to-day […]
Grain and livestock futures ended March 20 moving in opposite directions, according to market reports: corn, soybeans, and wheat finished lower, while live cattle and feeder cattle posted gains. For Montana producers, that split matters because it can shift feed-cost expectations at the same time it influences calf and fed-cattle price outlooks. Here’s what was […]
Reports indicate cattle futures moved lower going into the end of the week as traders waited for clearer signals from cash trade and upcoming USDA data. That kind of pullback doesn’t automatically translate into an immediate hit to Montana sale barn prices, but it does shape the tone for buyers, risk managers, and feedyard demand—especially […]
Reports out of the Southern Plains this summer point to a familiar squeeze: too much supply chasing uncertain demand, paired with weather risk that can change the math overnight. The headlines are about a specific crop and a specific region, but the underlying issue—processors and growers trying to stay committed through an oversupplied market—lands close […]
Corn continues to be the workhorse in U.S. export sales, while soybeans have struggled to keep pace, according to reports covering the marketing week through mid-March. For Montana producers, export momentum matters less as a headline and more as a signal: it can influence futures direction, basis behavior, and ultimately the cost of gain for […]
Grain markets ended Thursday, March 19, with a firmer tone, while cattle futures backed off—an end-of-day mix that matters in Montana where feed costs and calf values often tug against each other. Reports indicate May corn and May soybeans both closed higher, with Chicago wheat also posting gains. On the livestock side, April live cattle […]
Montana producers don’t need to be selling corn into California to feel the pull of biofuel policy. Reports indicate that as low-carbon fuel programs and federal renewable fuel rules evolve, they’re changing what grain is worth, where it moves, and what it costs to grow and ship it. For Montana, the effects are indirect but […]
Reports out of the southern Plains point to a familiar squeeze: a crop market that’s carrying too much supply at the same time producers are staring down drought risk and uncertain pricing. The specifics are different than what most Montana operations raise, but the business problem is the same one hay growers, grain producers, and […]
USDA export reporting is easy to ignore when you’re calving in the Bitterroot or hauling hay in the Yellowstone Valley, but it can still show up in Montana checkbooks. Reports this week indicate a buyer listed as “unknown” booked a shipment of U.S. soymeal for the 2026-27 marketing year, which begins Oct. 1, 2026. The […]