With preliminary September numbers in, the USDA estimated July-September U.S. milk production was up 1.2% from the same period a year ago.

Hay production recovered in the northern Plains, but Texas took a big hit.

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service recently released the latest Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade report. The report provides estimates for production, consumption and trade for beef, pork and chicken for major countries. The article focuses on the Mexican beef and cattle industry.

For the January-August period, dairy embryo exports totaled 10,918, the highest eight-month total to start the year in the past five years, already surpassing the 2021 annual total.

The most striking factors driving hay markets are related to alfalfa exports, domestic prices for dairy-quality hay and an early start to the supplemental feeding season in drought areas.

June 2022 “mailbox” prices averaged about $1.03 per hundredweight (cwt) less than announced average “all-milk” prices for the same month.

Drought and pasture conditions have improved from the previous month, but the situation is still very poor compared to last year and previous years. 

Month after month this year, feedlots have maintained large numbers of cattle on feed relative to history as more calves are being pushed into feedlots at a quicker-than-normal pace due to the drought impact on forage availability.