Food Manufacturing

Tight cattle supplies continue to drive lower beef output despite heavier weights.
Tyson’s capacity cuts weaken local basis, tighten kill space, and heighten dependence on imports, signaling more volatility for producers.
Tyson’s Nebraska plant closure and falling Cattle on Feed numbers send cattle markets tumbling. Analysts warn of tighter supplies, weak margins, and rising global competition.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
Lower U.S. and Mexican production means tighter sugar supplies and greater reliance on imports headed into 2026.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.
Dr. Deb Vnoverbeke, UNL’s Head of Animal Science, joins us with more about the university’s experiential learning programs designed to prepare veterinary students for the future of agriculture.
Tyson expects another year of beef-segment losses due to tight cattle supplies, even as chicken, pork, and prepared foods strengthen overall margins.
The DOJ’s new antitrust probe could reshape beef-packer behavior, with potential impacts on fed-cattle prices, processor margins, and long-term competition across the supply chain.
Tight cattle supplies keep prices high for ranchers, but policy shifts, export barriers, and packer losses signal a volatile road ahead for the beef supply chain.
Dr. Ashley Johnson, with the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), joins us to share the sector’s perspective on new FDA initiatives targeting ultra-processed foods.
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) discusses the USDA’s new cattle plan, ethanol policy, and the broader challenges ahead for rural America.
Better yield measurement means fairer grids, more precise breeding targets, and more dollars for truly efficient cattle.
Together, these markets highlight the diverse forces shaping industrial inputs and safe-haven assets.
The total value of the U.S. potato crop was $4.60 billion in 2024, representing an 8% decrease from the previous year.
The USDA noted that peanut edible utilization season-to-date is down 3% on the year, despite overall stocks increasing.
Mike Formica with the National Pork Producers Council joined us on Market Day Report with his reaction to the EPA’s rollback of a Biden-era wastewater discharge mitigation plan.