Harrington's Sort & Cull

June Naysayers

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:05:00 GMT

What's a bullish beef producer to do about bearish traders of June cattle futures?

Spring Was Tuesday?

Fri, 03 May 2013 20:53:00 GMT

There are times when cabin fever becomes so burning that hallucinations of spring fever cannot be controlled. Such an outbreak seemed to happen this week when, despite the persistence of below-normal temperatures across most of the country, red meat buyers chased wholesale prices higher with all the single-mindedness of a Long Horn bull at turn-out.

New Worthwhile Numbers on the Fly

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:13:00 GMT

The new mandatory reporting of wholesale pork cuts should afford a valuable price confidence for producers and processors alike, a critical reliability that serves better risk management while promoting the potential of more efficient marketing arrangements and techniques. It also requires a lot of mandatory reading.

Torn Over Punxsutawney Phil

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:18:00 GMT

Market analysts and ground hogs are more alike than you might think.

Friends, Romans, Retailers, Lend Me Some Meat Demand

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:37:00 GMT

Cattle traders had the unfortunate privilege Friday of reenacting a gruesome version of the infamous assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March.

Smithfield Taken to the Chop Shop?

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:35:00 GMT

Continental Grain Co. seems to believe the sum of Smithfield's parts may be significantly greater than the integrated whole.

Just Say No?

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 22:46:00 GMT

Cattle feeders are tired of losing money, and they appear to be trying to command a new discipline. Encouragement may be coming their financial partners.

Now What Was Trump?

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:14:00 GMT

Beef producers and processors have been dealing from the same deck now for nearly two months, but you get the feeling that even the sharkiest sharks at the table are now longer exactly certain about what card takes the trick.

The Super Bowl of Tug O' Wars

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 23:15:00 GMT

Since 2013 began, the fed cattle market has been trapped in the football equivalent of sudden death overtime with producers and packers wailing on each other without ever moving the chains.

2013 Forage Production Will Take More Attention

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 18:11:00 GMT

To get the most out of pastures that were drought-stressed in 2012, producers may need to consider some management tweaks.

The Expected Surprise

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:07:00 GMT

No one who has been paying attention to the dwindling size of the cow herd over the last decade or so can truly describe Cargill's plug-pulling of its Plainview, Texas, beef processing plant as "unexpected."

Climbing Out of the Pricing Dark

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:20:00 GMT

The pork industry will finally climb out of the pricing dark on Monday, Jan. 7.

Bing Crosby Never Scooped a Bunk in His Life

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:17:00 GMT

A white Christmas could prove to be a mixed blessing for livestock producers: It would help recharge soil moisture that drought-stricken pastures need, but also could threaten the health and lives of animals.

The Mayan Marketing Window

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:26:00 GMT

Could the fact that the late-week cash market struggled with the weakest basis seen all year be a sign that some producers are keeping Mayan time?

Stocking Stuffers for Readers

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:43:00 GMT

With Christmas just a few weeks away, here are some stocking stuffer ideas for the serious ag reader.