WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) for December from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects higher 2025 beef production and lower cattle prices as slaughter runs above expectations and carcass weights trend heavier.
Beef imports for 2025 are expected to be lower based on trade data to date, but are projected to increase in 2026 as tariff changes improve access for key suppliers. Beef exports are trimmed for both years, reflecting softer demand in major markets.
Hog sector projections shift modestly lower for 2025, with reduced slaughter pulling production down and pressuring late-year prices. Pork exports are expected to be lower this year but to rebound in 2026 as global demand improves.
Dairy outlooks are mixed. Milk production is unchanged in 2025 but lower in 2026, as smaller cow inventories offset productivity gains. Butter remains competitive in global markets, supporting export gains, while cheese prices weaken amid soft domestic demand. The all-milk price is cut to $21.00 per cwt for 2025 and $18.75 for 2026.
In the poultry sector, broiler production rose on earlier-year gains, but turkey output drops due to HPAI culling, and egg forecasts remain steady.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Rising beef supplies and lower cattle prices, weaker hog markets, and softening dairy prices will shape producer margins heading into 2026.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist
To mark the end of National Chicken Month, we take a look at how the U.S. poultry industry is making a slow and steady recovery following the widespread outbreak of High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI) in 2022 that devastated commercial flocks across the country.
September 29, 2023 02:44 PM
·
Egg prices have been on a roller coaster this year, soaring sky-high and falling back down to Earth in just a few months.
September 19, 2023 12:41 PM
·
September 14, 2023 12:52 PM
When it comes to Kansas’ “Right to Farm” law, and property rights with respect to road ditch right-of-ways and the common law and trespassing and nuisance — how far can one go without infringing on others? RFD-TV’s Farm legal expert Roger McEowen details a recent opinion by the Kansas Court of Appeals in a case involving a hog farmer, which, he says, is perhaps the most egregious ag nuisance case that has ever gone to an appellate-level court in Kansas.
September 07, 2023 12:14 PM
·
September 01, 2023 11:48 AM
Chefs Chris Carter and James Peisker believe we have the power to make the world a better place with every meal. Through Porter Road butcher, they are now turning this belief into reality.
August 23, 2023 01:29 PM
·
RFD-TV’s own Marlin Bohling proved he is more than “just Ken” with his yummy “BarBieQuacamole Taco Burgers.” Get the recipe here — it’s a 10!
August 17, 2023 02:20 PM
·
Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have constructed the perfect watermelon—returning “lost” genes from the domesticated fruit’s wild relatives that improve both taste and resilience during the growing process.
August 14, 2023 03:31 PM
·
