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A southwestern Missouri cattle producer says there could be a sharp decrease in cattle herd sizes if processors and retailers don’t share more of their profit margins. “The producer has given all he can give right now,” said Glen Cope. Cope says rising cattle production costs are sharply cutting into margins. “Our feed costs are just really hampering our profitability,” he said. “…we’re just going to try to put all the gain we can on them with forage.” But the Aurora, Missouri farmer said grass is behind at this point in the spring adding more pressure. ...     

The Biden administration says they continue to take steps to alleviate the pressure from rising fuel costs. From increasing access to E-15 to releasing oil from the strategic reserve, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says President Biden is accelerating efforts to lower fuel prices.  “Nobody wants to be under the thumb of a petro-dictator like Vladimir Putin,” she says.  “We clean, American, homegrown energy.” She tells Brownfield the administration is also making investments in heavy duty batteries for the ag and industrial sectors. ...     

Rebecca Vittetoe with Iowa State University says cool conditions slowed growth this spring. An extension agronomist expects delayed pest pressure in alfalfa. “Usually when we put out our comment about now is the time that we could potentially start to see alfalfa weevils being active in fields based off of Growing Degree days, I couldn’t even use my sweep net in an alfalfa field because it was only 4 inches tall.” She tells Brownfield alfalfa has shot up because of warmer weather the past two weeks. ...     

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle are lower, waiting for the rest of the week’s direct business to develop. June live cattle closed $1.50 lower at $131.50 and August live cattle closed $1.77 lower at $131.70.  August feeder cattle closed $.97 lower at $165.80 and September feeder cattle closed $.77 lower at $168.45.  There was some very light, scattered direct cash cattle trade on Wednesday.  Dressed deals in Nebraska were at $227, fully steady money with Tuesday’s business.  Bids in other parts of cattle country were at $142 live and $228 dressed.  Asking prices for cattle left on showlists were around $140 live in the South and $228 plus dressed in the North.  Additional business is expected develop over the balance of the week.  So far this week, Southern live deals have been marked at $137 to mostly $138, about $2 lower than last week’s weighted averages.  Northern dressed business has been at mostly $226, $3 lower than last week’s weighted average basis in Nebraska.  Wednesday’s Fed Cattle Exchange had an offering of 1,864 head, of which none sold as they did not meet the reserve prices ranging from $133 to $142.  At the Kingsville Livestock Auction in Missouri, compared to last week, feeder steers were uneven, steady to $5 higher.  ...