USDA cattle on feed reports

South Dakota cattle on feed up 9 percent

SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 185,000 cattle on feed on September 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 9 percent from last year.

Placements during August totaled 30,000 head, up 7 percent from 2013.

Fed cattle marketings for the month of August totaled 34,000 head, down 8 percent from last year.

Other disappearance during August totaled 1,000 head, unchanged from last year.

Minnesota cattle on feed up 12,000 head

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Minnesota for all feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head totaled 113,000 head on September 1, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Minnesota Field Office. This is down 3,000 head from last month but up 12,000 head from last year.

Placements during August totaled 15,000 head, up 50 percent from last month and up 15 percent from last year. Marketings for August were 17,000 head, up 13 percent from last month but down 15 percent from last year. Other disappearance totaled 1,000 head.

Iowa cattle on feed down 2 percent

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Iowa for all feedlots totaled 1,050,000 on September 1, 2014 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Iowa Field Office. The inventory is down 3 percent from August 1, 2014 and down 2 percent from September 1, 2013. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head had 580,000 head on feed, down 3 percent from last month but up 5 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head had 470,000 head on feed, down 2 percent from last month and down 10 percent from last year.

Placements during August totaled 120,000 head, an increase of 26 percent from last month but down 14 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head placed 63,000 head, up 13 percent from last month but down 5 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head placed 57,000 head. This is up 46 percent from last month but down 22 percent from last year.

Marketings for August were 143,000 head, down 11 percent from last month but up 1 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head marketed 80,000 head, up 8 percent from last month and up 10 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head marketed 63,000 head, down 27 percent from last month and down 9 percent from last year. Other disappearance totaled 7,000 head.

Nebraska cattle on feed up 2 percent

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.13 million cattle on feed on September 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2 percent from last year.

Placements during August totaled 425,000 head, down 3 percent from 2013.

Fed cattle marketings for the month of August totaled 440,000 head, up 5 percent from last year.

Other disappearance during August totaled 15,000 head, up 5,000 head from a year ago.

United States cattle on feed down 1 percent

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 9.8 million head on September 1, 2014. The inventory was 1 percent below September 1, 2013.

Placements in feedlots during August totaled 1.72 million, 3 percent below 2013. Net placements were 1.65 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 410,000, 600-699 pounds were 280,000, 700-799 pounds were 395,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 635,000. For the month of August placements are the lowest since the series began in 1996.

Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.69 million, 10 percent below 2013. August marketings are the lowest since the series began in 1996.

Other disappearance totaled 66,000 during August, 32 percent above 2013.

New partnership elevates alfalfa

S&W Seed Company, a U.S.-based alfalfa seed producer, and Bioceres S.A., an agricultural biotechnology company owned by farmers in Latin America, will create a joint venture to develop and commercialize biotech-enhanced alfalfa varieties. The new seed venture combines S&W’s genetics with Bioceres next-generation research and development capabilities. Additionally, the two partners will leverage each other’s distribution capabilities and relationships to sell S&W’s alfalfa varieties in Argentina directly to local dealers and farmers. This elevates S&W’s Argentine sales and marketing from being distributor dependent to being face-to-face with end users.