Supply Chain and Logistics
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
While short-term volatility remains a risk, softer ocean freight rates in 2026 could improve export margins.
Freight volatility increasingly determines export margins, making logistics costs as important as price in marketing decisions.
Structural efficiency supports cattle prices and resilience — breaking it risks higher costs and greater volatility.
Reduced winter placements indicate tighter fed cattle supplies and greater leverage during peak-demand months.
Rail strength is helping stabilize grain movement, but river and export slowdowns continue to limit overall logistics momentum.
Seasonal boxed beef softness does not change the tight-supply outlook — leverage remains closer to the farm gate heading into 2026.
Sen. Deb Fischer reintroduces the HAULS Act to update hours-of-service exemptions and definitions affecting livestock and agricultural haulers. She joins us on Market Day Report to share more about her proposed legislation.
Strong crush demand and rising ethanol production are pressuring feedstocks, as traders monitor storage risks and supply chain uncertainty and await the upcoming January WASDE report.
Preserving equity through active risk management remains critical in a volatile, supply-driven market.
Producers across the country balanced winter weather disruptions, shifting export demand, and tightening margins as year-end decisions come into focus.
Canada’s new voluntary Grocery Sector Code of Conduct will take effect on Jan. 1, a goodwill effort to promote fairness and transparency between retailers and support farms that sell directly to stores.
Stronger rail movement and lower fuel prices are easing logistics, even as export pace and river conditions remain uneven.
Weather-driven transportation disruptions can tighten logistics, affect basis levels, and delay grain movement during winter months.
Transportation access, legal disputes, and fertilizer freight costs will directly influence input pricing and grain movement in 2026.