High prices means that beef producers need protections as well

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.

Related Stories
March brought better prices for several commodities, but rising fuel and feed costs kept margins under pressure.
The fifth-generation operation is managing land and cattle with a long-term focus.
Officials say the virus is not a food safety risk and does not affect humans
The Texas Department of Agriculture confirmed a New World Screwworm case about 119 miles from the Texas border, near Zapata, Texas, and north and west of the Rio Grande Valley.
Beef is leading the decline as slaughter drops and supplies tighten.
March pork gains lifted total meat production, but first-quarter output still ran below last year.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Allowing year-round sales of E15 nationally could deliver billions in economic gains, according to a new study from the Renewable Fuels Association and National Corn Growers Association.
U.S. aquaculture may gain competitive ground as harmful subsidies are phased out abroad, but producers should monitor shifts in import supply chains and trade enforcement closely.
Producers may need to prepare for margin pressure in livestock feeding, while dairy farmers could benefit from stronger product demand.
Farmers await concrete trade commitments from China. Until then, export prospects for soybeans, corn, and sorghum remain uncertain against strong South American competition.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today issued a new memorandum to modernize and strengthen America’s wildfire prevention and response system.
Understanding the Big, Beautiful Bill’s complex impact on SNAP benefits – that’s the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s legal expert, Roger McEowen.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.