Friday January 24 Cattle on Feed, Milk Production & Cold Storage reports

 NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 1%

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.58 million cattle on feed on January 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 1% from last year. Placements during December totaled 460,000 head, up 6% from 2023. Fed cattle marketings for the month of December totaled 465,000 head, up 6% from last year. Other disappearance during December totaled 15,000 head, unchanged from last year.



IOWA CATTLE ON FEED

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 650,000 head on January 1, 2025, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was down 2 percent from December but up 3 percent from January 1, 2024.

Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during December totaled 86,000 head, down 5 percent from November but up 4 percent from December 2023.

Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during December totaled 95,000 head, down 5 percent from November but up 3 percent from December 2023. Other disappearance from feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head in Iowa totaled 1,000 head.



United States Cattle on Feed Down 1 Percent
    
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.8 million head on January 1, 2025. The inventory was 1 percent below January 1, 2024. The inventory included 7.25 million steers and steer calves, up 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.58 million head, down 3 percent from 2024.

On Feed, by State  (1,000 hd - % Jan 1 '24)
Colorado ......:             1,050           103            
Iowa .............:               650            103             
Kansas ..........:             2,400            97             
Nebraska ......:             2,580           101            
Texas ............:             2,780            97            

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.64 million head, 3 percent below 2023. Net placements were 1.58 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 395,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 380,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 375,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 287,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 115,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 90,000 head.

Placements by State  (1,000 hd - % Dec '23)
Colorado .....:                   135            100            
Iowa ............:                    86            104             
Kansas .........:                  410            104              
Nebraska .....:                  460            106          
Texas ...........:                  255             77           

Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.74 million head, 1 percent above 2023. Other disappearance totaled 59,000 head during December, 2 percent below 2023.

Marketings by State  (1,000 hd - % Dec '23)
Colorado .....:                  135             96            
Iowa ............:                   95            103               
Kansas .........:                  420            104            
Nebraska .....:                  465            106           
Texas ...........:                  345             95           



NEBRASKA MILK PRODUCTION

Milk production in Nebraska during the October-December 2024 quarter totaled 307 million pounds, down 6% from the October-December quarter last year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 49,000 head, 4,000 head less than the same period last year.

October-December Milk Production down 0.1 percent
Milk production in the United States during the October - December quarter totaled 55.5 billion pounds, down 0.1 percent from the October - December quarter last year. The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.36 million head, 29,000 head more than the July - September quarter, and 10,000 head more than the same period last year.



USDA Cold Storage December 2024 Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers on December 31, 2024 were up 3 percent from the previous month but down 5 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 4 percent from the previous month but down 5 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 2 percent from the previous month but down 6 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 52 percent from last month but down 39 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on December 31, 2024 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 8 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down 1 percent from the previous month and down 8 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 9 percent from last month but down 9 percent from December 31, 2024.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on December 31, 2025 were up 2 percent from the previous month but down 6 percent from December 31, 2024. Butter stocks were up 4 percent from last month and up 11 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks on December 31, 2024 were down 8 percent from last month and down 3 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 5 percent from last month and down 4 percent from a year ago.