Tuesday May 26 Ag News - Cattle on Feed up 2% - 252 NAYI Delegates '26 Announced - NE NE Cattlemen Events in June - Virtual Fencing Bus Tour in June - USDA Cold Storage, Milk Production Reports - USMEF Wraps Up in OK - and more!

United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 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 11.6 million head on May 1, 2026. The inventory was 2 percent above May 1, 2025.

On Feed by State    (1,000 hd     -   % May 1 '25)
Colorado ......:               920           96            
Iowa .............:               680          100         
Kansas .........:             2,370          103           
Nebraska ......:             2,640          104          
Texas ............:             2,580          100         

Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.70 million head, 6 percent above 2025. Net placements were 1.65 million head. During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 330,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 245,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 390,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 457,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 210,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 70,000 head.

Placements by State  (1,000 hd  -  % April '25)
Colorado ......:             140           117         
Iowa .............:              89           102          
Kansas .........:             400           105              
Nebraska .....:             435            98             
Texas ...........:             335           108               

Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.64 million head, 10 percent below 2025. Other disappearance totaled 52,000 head during April, 4 percent above 2025.

Marketings by State  (1,000 hd  -  % April '25)
Colorado .....:             130            84        
Iowa ............:              97           113       
Kansas .........:             380            90         
Nebraska .....:             425            88        
Texas ...........:             305            80       



NDA ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF NEBRASKA AG YOUTH INSTITUTE DELEGATES

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) received a record-breaking number of applications from high school students wanting to attend this year’s Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) with 252 students being selected to attend this year’s event. 

Coordinated by the NDA and the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council (NAYC), NAYI is a week-long summer program designed to bring students from across the state together to learn more about Nebraska agriculture, network with ag leaders and explore career opportunities. NDA selects students to attend NAYI based on their leadership skills, interests and involvement in agriculture. NAYI will be held July 6-10 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.

“It’s wonderful to see students that are passionate about agriculture. NAYI provides young people, who are about to begin the next chapter of their life, with the resources necessary to help build their futures,” said NAYC Advisor Christin Kamm. “Not only will they be making lifelong friendships and connections, but NAYI will give them insight into the many different career possibilities that a job in agriculture offers so they can follow their passion.”

NAYI is in its 55th year, making it the longest running ag youth program of its kind in the nation. This year’s theme “Passion Meets Purpose” represents the idea that students can turn what they care about into meaningful careers within agriculture. Through NAYI students gain the knowledge, skills and connections needed to take their passion and apply it in a way that makes a difference.

NAYI features motivational speakers, discussions on agricultural issues, career development, networking opportunities, leadership activities as well as several hands-on learning opportunities and workshops.

The list of attendees this year includes: 
Adrianna Mincer    Arlington
Ethan Hilgenkamp Arlington
Libby Stork (Elizabeth) Arlington 
Katrina Moyer Beemer
Stella Kock Belden
Alessa Gall Clarkson
Nevaeh Zulkoski Clarkson
Alexander Ankeny Dixon
Braxton Wisnieski Dodge
Cortland W. Moseman Fremont
Peyton Kavan Fremont
Brayden Loseke Leigh
Karly Wendt Leigh
Luke Eisenmann Leigh
Ava Kasik Leigh 
Alizabeth Whitley Lyons
Danika Kreifels Nickerson
Ava Karnopp Oakland
Grace Wallerstedt Oakland
Landon Ehlers Oakland
Piper Tanksley     Oakland
Josh Eisenmann Schuyler
Ian Schiller Scribner
Marissa Palm Wahoo
Campbell Consbruck West Point
Charlie Dinslage West Point
Taylyn Maas West Point
Tessa Lund West Point
Henry Wooldrik     West Point 
Austin Hatterman Wisner
Hayden Schroeder Wisner

The NAYC, which is comprised of 21 college-aged students selected by NDA, helps plan and facilitate the event and provide valuable insight and advice about agriculture, college coursework and career-building to the NAYI delegates.

To learn more about NAYC or NAYI 2026, visit nda.nebraska.gov/nayi/. Follow NAYI activities on Facebook by searching and liking the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute and on Instagram by following @the_nayc or #NAYI26.



CAP Webinar: How Financial Analysis Can Assist Your Operation
Thursday, May 28 at noon CT

Every operation is different, but many producers face similar questions:
    Can I restructure debt and improve cash flow?
    Should I refinance equipment or land?
    How do I position the operation for the next generation?
    What changes can improve profitability without sacrificing growth?
    What happens if commodity prices stay low another year? 

This webinar will include a simple case study example showing how sharing your numbers can help uncover realistic strategies and opportunities for your operation. It will also introduce a new financial analysis program for producers available through the Center for Agricultural Profitability at UNL.

With decades of experience in agricultural finance, presenter David Haupt helps farmers and ranchers move beyond uncertainty by carefully reviewing the numbers, identifying pressure points, and laying out realistic options. Find out more about the free services he offers producers through one-on-one consultation and education on the Center for Agricultural Profitablity's website, https://cap.unl.edu/financial-analysis-consulting/.

Miss the live webinar or want to review it again? Recordings are available — typically within 24 hours of the live webinar — in the archive section of the Center for Agricultural Profitability's webinar page, https://cap.unl.edu/webinars. 



Northeast Nebraska Cattlemen Steak Fry
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
Social: 6:00 p.m. CT
Steaks: 7:00 p.m. CT
Entertainment:  Dylan Bloom
Location: Wayne Co Fairgrounds, 301 Pheasant Run, Wayne
Ticket: $50.00 / person - Cash Bar
Tickets picked up at the door - No tickets will be mailed
Contact:  Joel Bruns 402-922-0112 or Payton Janke 402-369-2930

Northeast Nebraska Cattlemen Golf Tourney
Date: Friday, June 19, 2026
Tee Time:  5:30 p.m.
Steak supper to follow golf
Location:  Twin Creeks Golf Club, 912 NE-9, Pender
Contact:   Harley Greve 402-369-1206



See Virtual Fencing in Action: A Multi-State Bus Tour in June

Have you wondered how virtual fencing might work on your operation, but want to see it in action before making a decision? A two-day bus tour on June 16–17 will give cattle producers the opportunity to evaluate virtual fencing systems in real-world settings.

Virtual fencing (VF) has the potential to reduce labor associated with fencing and cattle movement while improving control over grazing distribution and pasture utilization. However, many producers want to better understand how these systems perform under real-world conditions before making an investment.

This bus tour provides a practical, side-by-side look at multiple commercially available VF systems and how they are being used by producers and researchers.

Tour Agenda
Day 1 – June 16 (Producer Site Demonstrations)
    6:45 am pick up from Lancaster County Extension Office, Lincoln, NE
    10:00 am: Rolling Prairie Ranch, Hatfield, MO → Halter system
    3:00 pm: Mud Ridge Ranch, Red Oak, IA → Nofence system
    Dinner and overnight stay in Lincoln, NE

Day 2 – June 17 (Research & Application)
    9:00 am: Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC), Mead, NE
    eShepherd/Gallagher and Halter systems
    Discussions on VF grazing research
    11:30 am: Lunch and panel discussion with researchers and industry representatives
    1:00 pm: Adjourn

What producers can expect
    Observe multiple VF systems operating under real production conditions
    Compare system features and performance side-by-side
    Learn how VF can be applied to improve grazing management and labor efficiency
    Ask questions directly to producers, researchers, and technology providers

Registration Details
Register by June 9th. The cost is $200 per person, which includes transportation, lodging, and lunches.

Register at https://go.unl.edu/vf_bustour.

This program is hosted by University of Nebraska and Iowa State University, and is partially sponsored by Halter, Nofence, Gallagher, and Iowa Forage and Grassland Council. 



USDA Cold Storage April 2026 Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers on April 30 were up 4 percent from the previous month but down 4 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up slightly from the previous month but down 3 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 9 percent from the previous month but down 4 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 15 percent from last month but down 8 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on April 30, 2026 were up 4 percent from the previous month and up slightly from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 1 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 14 percent from last month but down 2 percent from April 30, 2025.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on April 30, 2026 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 1 percent from April 30, 2025. Butter stocks were up 6 percent from last month but down 9 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks on April 30 were down 7 percent from last month but up 5 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 7 percent from last month and down 8 percent from a year ago.



April Milk Production in the United States up 2.7 Percent

Milk production in the United States during April totaled 20.0 billion pounds, up 2.7 percent from April 2025. Production per cow in the United States averaged 2,069 pounds for April, 14 pounds above April 2025. The number of milk cows on farms in the United States was 9.65 million head, 190,000 head more than April 2025, and 10,000 head more than March 2026.

Iowa ............:      517 million lbs.  +1.6% from April '25  
     


USMEF Conference Concludes with Focus on Marketing Innovations and Factors Impacting U.S. Red Meat Supply

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) wrapped up its Spring Conference in Oklahoma City on Friday with a panel discussion detailing innovative marketing strategies and activities that have helped expand demand for U.S. red meat in Asian and Latin American markets. Panelists included Jihae Yang, USMEF vice president for the Asia Pacific, who shared insights from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

One of the latest innovations in Japan is the marketing of U.S. beef short plate as a barbecue cut available to retail consumers. While short plate has long been a staple of Japan’s foodservice sector, new variations of the cut are gaining traction at supermarkets and other retail outlets. In Taiwan, Yang explained how USMEF is working with 7-11 convenience stores to expand the availability of chilled U.S. beef cuts. She noted that this is a marketing breakthrough not previously achieved in Taiwan – or even in Japan and Korea, which have long been considered the leading-edge markets for the convenience store sector.

In South Korea, Yang explained that USMEF has partnered with retail giant E-Mart to heighten awareness of Prime grade, chilled U.S. beef cuts, including the chuck eye roll, top blade and chuck flap tail.

Lucia Ruano, USMEF representative in Central America and the Dominican Republic, offered highlights from campaigns that inform health-conscience consumers about the nutritional and fitness benefits of U.S. red meat. She also spotlighted online training tools that help educate prospective customers and other key decision makers about the attributes of specific U.S. pork and beef cuts.

Ruano noted that USMEF has also expanded its engagement with restaurateurs and foodservice purchasing managers in the region, showcasing the attributes of underutilized U.S. pork and beef cuts that can enhance the range and quality of restaurant menus.

USMEF Latin America Representative Homero Recio addressed USMEF members on developments in other Western Hemisphere markets, including Colombia and Mexico. Recio explained that the presence of U.S. pork continues to expand in Colombia’s retail sector, but added that the introduction of underutilized beef cuts in a wider range of retail venues has also opened new doors for U.S. beef. USMEF also has promotional activities planned in conjunction with the upcoming FIFA World Cup soccer tournament – which is wildly popular in Colombia – allowing retail customers to qualify for entry into VIP viewing venues.

Recio also highlighted Cantina Vibes, a campaign in which USMEF has expanded the penetration of U.S. pork and beef variety meats in Mexico’s casual dining sector. He also explained how U.S. pork jowls are being merchandised as a flavorful, convenient, high-protein snack by street vendors and at stadium concession stands.

On Thursday, USMEF members gained insights from a distinguished panel of livestock industry experts that included Dr. Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State University, Dr. Nevil Speer of Turkey Track Consulting and Don Close, senior animal protein analyst with Terrain.

The panel addressed factors impacting protein demand in both the international and domestic markets, noting the important role exports play in bolstering the profitability of livestock producers and incentivizing industry expansion. But expansion of the beef cattle herd has been elusive, due to factors such as volatile grazing conditions and hay availability, and persistently higher operating costs.

“You cannot stabilize the cow inventory by not killing cows,” Close explained. “If we're not putting replacement heifers on top of that, we're going to continue to decline. By not killing the cows and not replacing with females, the average age of our cow herd is getting substantially older. When we do finally start to expand, we're going to have to retain enough females, not only to rebuild what we've lost, but we're going to have to retain additional replacement females because of the accelerated attrition of the cows that are still out there.”

The tight cattle supply has fueled misperceptions about the impact of trade, with some media outlets suggesting that exports reduce availability for U.S. consumers. Peel illustrated the benefits of trade by drawing a comparison with households that periodically fill their home freezer with a full range of beef cuts.

“I always remind producers, because they almost all have freezer beef, what's it like when you get down to the stuff that’s in the bottom of the freezer,” he said. “When you start talking to the other half of the household about how you need to get another beef in the freezer, you get reminded: ‘no, you've got to eat that stuff before we get another one.’ By exporting the cuts we don’t like to eat as much, trade allows us to clean out the bottom of the freezer, so that we can focus U.S. demand on the cuts we really want.”

Speer highlighted the benefits producers have realized from raising higher grading cattle that meet consumers’ demand for high-quality beef. He contrasted the current situation with the 1980s and 90s, when the beef industry was losing the battle for consumer dollars spent on protein.

“Now we're in a whole new realm,” Speer said. “This is what's bringing consumers back – the quality and the consistency. And this did not just happen, right? We've gotten better at genetics, we've gotten better at management, and we're starting to listen to consumers, and it makes all the difference in the world.”

Thursday’s agenda also included breakout sessions for USMEF’s pork, beef, exporter and feedgrain/oilseed sectors, in which members received additional market updates from USMEF’s international staff.

The conference kicked off on Wednesday, when the program focused on the rapid growth of U.S. red meat exports to Central America and recent developments impacting access to China, Saudi Arabia and other key markets.



United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board of Directors nominations now open

The United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) is now accepting nominations for individuals interested in serving on the national sorghum checkoff board of directors.

Sorghum producers who are passionate about advancing the industry and representing fellow farmers are encouraged to apply. Board members play a key role in guiding investments in research, promotion and education to strengthen demand for sorghum both domestically and internationally.

“This is a great opportunity for producers to step up and help shape the future of the sorghum industry,” said Scott Nelson, chair of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board. “Having strong producer leadership on the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board ensures we continue building demand and creating new opportunities for sorghum growers here in Nebraska and across the country.”

Nominations are submitted through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and must meet eligibility requirements. Producers interested in serving are encouraged to contact the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board office to begin the nomination process and receive assistance before submitting materials to USDA. The application process ends on June 1, 2026.

For more information or to get started, please contact the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board office at Sorghum.board@nebraska.gov as soon as possible.