Texas Daily Ag Market News Summary 04/04/16

Posted 8 years 28 days ago by

Feeder cattle auctions reported prices $2 to $4 higher; Futures higher.

Fed cattle cash trade inactive; Formula trades lower; Futures higher; Beef prices lower.

Cotton futures lower.

Grains and soybeans mixed.

Milk futures lower.

Crude oil lower; Natural gas higher.

Stock markets lower.

Texas feeder cattle auctions reported prices of $2 to $4 higher. Feeder cattle futures were $0.47 higher, closing at $156.67 per hundredweight (cwt). The Texas fed cattle cash trade was inactive today. Whole sale boxed beef values were lower with choice grade losing $1.60, to close at $217.51 per cwt and select grade losing $0.70 to close at $206.23 per cwt. Fed cattle futures were $0.23 higher, closing at $133.20 per cwt. Estimated cattle harvest for the week totaled 111,000 head up 2,000 from last week and 5,000 from last year’s total.

Cotton prices were mixed with cash prices remaining at 55.12 per pound and May futures losing 0.24 cents to close at 58.96 cents per pound.

Corn prices were higher with cash and May futures prices both gaining $0.01 to close at $3.57 and $3.55 per bushel, respectively.

Wheat prices were lower cash prices losing $0.01 to close at $4.00 and May futures losing $0.03 to close at $4.78 per bushel.

Milk prices were lower with April Class III Milk futures losing $0.06 to close at $13.75 per cwt.

Stock markets were lower today as oil prices slid, stopping a recent rally that sent US Indexes to new highs for the year. Crude oil prices were lower, with May Crude oil futures losing $1.09, to close at $35.70 per barrel.

Daily Market Summary Data 04/04/16

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From Agri-Pulse:

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2016 - The number of organic farms is increasing, even after more than a decade of sustained growth in the sector, according to newly released USDA data.

There are about 22,000 certified organic farms in the U.S. and more than 31,000 worldwide, the department's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) says in a release. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of organic farms in the U.S. increased by 12 percent - the highest growth rate since 2008. “Organic food is one of the fasting growing segments of American agriculture,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The increasing number of organic operations shows that USDA's strong support for the vibrant organic sector is helping to create jobs and opportunities in rural communities.”

AMS began tracking organic farms in 2002, and since then, has recorded a 300 percent increase in their number. Today, the total retail market for organic products is worth $39 billion in the U.S. and $75 billion worldwide, USDA says.

“As consumer demand for organic products continues to grow, the USDA organic seal has become a leading global standard,” Vilsack added in the release.

Laura Batcha, CEO of the Organic Trade Association, told Agri-Pulse she was not surprised by the USDA's growth figures.

“USDA's numbers support what we have been hearing anecdotally across the country: Organic certifiers are getting more calls from farmers who want to go organic,” she said.

While transitioning to organic can be expensive at first, Batcha said the resulting environmental benefits and “strong organic premiums” are what attract farmers to organic production.

AMS data on certified organic farms can be accessed through USDA's recently launched Organic Integrity Database, which allows certified growers to quickly update their operations' information with the government.

USDA says it's been working to make the organic certification process “sound and sensible” over the last seven years. Its “one-stop-shop for operators” has market and pricing information for about 250 organic products, ways to access technical and financial resources, and links to organic research and outreach materials.

In 2015, USDA spent $11.5 million to assist producers certifying as organic, the department says.

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