Crop growers are not the only ones needing a risk management system this year. Farm analysts say now is the best time for cattle ranchers to check out their options.
“Some people are checking cattle at night. We’re calving heifers. We’re calving cows. Those calves are hitting the ground, and just think about if you could insure those cattle for today for, let’s just say, $1,600, and you’re spending about $50 to $60. Maybe you don’t want to spend that much. Maybe you want to insure that calf for $1,000 and spend $10 or $15. Those are some of the options that we could look at on those cattle that are hitting the ground right now,” said Clay Burtrum.
Butrum says at the end of the day, you want to make sure you keep yourself profitable while protecting the business for the next generation.
Herd contraction remains gradual across North America.
March 14, 2026 02:30 PM
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Tight supplies continue supporting strong cull values.
March 13, 2026 03:40 PM
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F-10 Wound Spray can now be used for livestock and other animals as officials monitor the ongoing New World Screwworm outbreak in Mexico.
March 13, 2026 01:31 PM
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China’s stricter inspection rules prompt Cargill to pause soybean exports from Brazil, briefly lifting U.S. soybean prices as traders anticipate potential shifts in global trade, as export demand remains supportive across all major U.S. commodities.
March 13, 2026 12:57 PM
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Severe drought in South Texas is forcing ranchers to consider cattle sell-offs as feed and water supplies dwindle, threatening herd health and livestock operations.
March 12, 2026 05:09 PM
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Dr. David Anderson with Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension discusses how geopolitical tensions and the Middle East, along with export disruptions in the Chinese market, will shape cattle markets in the months ahead.
March 12, 2026 12:54 PM
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