Australian beef has replaced U.S. supply in China since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Under Trump, U.S. cedes its share of China’s beef market to Australia

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit contract highs on shock herd decline
Chicago | Reuters – Lean hog futures stormed to contract highs at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Friday as smaller-than-expected U.S. inventory numbers stoked concerns about supplies, analysts said. The nation’s inventory on September 1 was 74.5 million head, down 1.3 per cent from a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybean futures edge up as Argentina ends export tax waiver
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures ended slightly higher on Thursday as Argentina reinstated export taxes on grains after a suspension increased competition for sales on the global market. Corn futures also crawled higher as traders monitored reports from early U.S. harvesting, while wheat futures jumped in a recovery from contract […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit contract high, herd falls short of estimates
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures set a contract high on Thursday as strong cash prices supported the market, analysts said. After the trading session ended, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a quarterly report the nation’s inventory of hogs and pigs on September 1 was 74.5 million head, down […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy futures set six-week low as China buys Argentine cargoes, snubs U.S.
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. soybean futures set a six-week low on Tuesday under pressure from a lack of Chinese demand and increased competition for export sales from Argentina, analysts said. The market finished slightly higher in a technical rebound, traders said. Wheat futures also recovered after setting contract lows, with an expected boost to […] Read more

U.S. cattle ranchers criticize government for delayed reporting of human screwworm case
Human screwworm case was Maryland resident who recovered, state health department says
The patient with the first human infestation of travel-associated New World screwworm in the United States has recovered from the flesh-eating parasite, and there was no sign of transmission to other people or animals, the Maryland Department of Health said on Monday. Ranchers criticized a lack of transparency about the case.

U.S. confirms nation’s first travel-associated human screwworm case connected to Central American outbreak
USDA criticized by cattle producers for failing to take timely measures to prevent screwworm from entering the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday reported the first human case in the United States of travel-associated New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, from an outbreak-affected country.

USDA to build Texas facility to fight flesh-eating screwworm
Sterile flys to keep infection out of U.S.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend up to $750 million to build a sterile fly production facility in Texas to fight the flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Friday, Aug. 15.

Smithfield Foods raises annual profit forecast as hog business recovers
Smithfield Foods raised its annual operating profit forecast on Tuesday as its hog business rebounded from losses and the biggest U.S. pork processor said it resumed U.S. exports to China that had been crippled by tariffs.

U.S. cattle ranchers slowly start to rebuild decimated herd
Meatpackers want larger herds to bring down cattle prices from record highs
In major U.S. livestock regions, some ranchers have slowly begun taking the first steps to boost cattle production after the nation’s inventory shrank due to a years-long drought that dried up pasture land used for grazing and hiked feeding costs.