Sales of U.S. beef to Japan are off to a fast start with 500 metric tons sold since the market reopened July 27 and three stores in Tokyo selling out of their offerings this week, U.S. meat industry sources said on Thursday.
"To me that is a sign that beef exports to Japan may make a much quicker comeback than we previously thought," said Dan Vaught, livestock analyst with A.G. Edwards.
Five hundred metric tons of US beef sold all ready. Stores all ready sold out of beef. Is this ever good news. We in the industry were led to believe that the Japanese consumer wouldn't buy US beef. I guess we were just hearing from the vocal minority. The silent majority are letting us know their opinion by buying good US beef.
I should know better than to listen to the alarmists but when it's the only voice you hear you take it to be gospel after a while.
It will be interesting to see where this leads the cattle market. I'm sure it will drive prices up. Not a bad thing for me but not great for consumers. The next big question in the cattle market is what about next year? My sources indicate that with all the corn futures being bought up by proposed ethanol plants, there is going to be a shortage of corn in the next year which will really drive feed prices up. Who will go bust and who will survive. The livestock feeding industry or the ethanol industry. Stay tuned, it's going to get interesting.
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On a per acre basis I don't know what to think of the price. For the ranch as a whole, that's the going rate around here and she will probably get it. Will an old time ranch family get it and stay in cattle production? Probably not.
The price does not support just raising cattle on it. A young kid couldn't come in and buy it and make it work. The price being asked requires a large chunk of money coming into the deal to make this work as a cattle ranch. I can't think of a single regular cattle producer in the area that could buy it. A lot of the newcomers in the area that bought places with money from other sources and just play at having a cattle ranch could, but nobody that raises cattle for a living.
That's the shits about these ranches going like this. The locals that could use the land and expansion room can't afford it so rich non cattle producers come in and buy them up. Slowly with time they buy more and more places till they start squeezing the locals out. That's free enterprise like it or not so a person just grouses, deals with it, and watch all the old families leave.
Just rankles me too, as I would like to get into ag. - just run a few cows maybe, but seems that you are always competing with people who have way more money than sense, and just want a "ranch" to play at or visit twice a year. And the exodus of people, kowledge and experience continues from our rural areas.
Thanks for your input, and good luck to you - shipping day is just around the corner now, eh?
My husband & I just saw an article in our local paper, that near Bayard, NE. they are going to put in an ethanol plant. It will take 160 acres, & employ 42 people. They say that it will process either 100 train load cars, or 100 semi-loads daily. Hard to say what is the truth--(local coffee shop talk tends to range all over the place). Our local farmers are tickled about the chance to sell their corn locally, & hopefully for a good price, & the area is happy about 42 extra jobs.
I have mixed feelings. It seems a good thing if it lowers gasoline prices, which right now are a burden on everyone, & in the end will increase the cost of goods for everyone. However, will it mean that it only costs me half as much to drive to my local McDonalds, only to discover that the 99 cent double cheeseburger now costs me $5.00??
It seems an ever increasing group,are working longer, & more hours for less?!? Someone, is doing great--but it sure isn't most folks.