U.S. Meat Prices Rise Sharply in October

Commodities & Metals

Published: October 31, 2014 3:19 pm

Last Updated: April 28, 2020 9:07 am

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its preliminary report on October farm prices Friday afternoon. The all-products price index fell 8.4% month-over-month to 98, with the crop index down 10%% and the livestock index up 3%. The October all-products index is down 2 points year-over-year. The index uses prices from 2011 as its base value (100).

The USDA noted that October’s higher prices for hogs, calves, and cattle offset lower prices for corn, soybeans, and milk. Prices paid by farmers in the month fell rose to 112, 6 index points higher compared with October 2013.

The price farmers received for livestock is 26% higher than it was a year ago and the price for meat animals is 28% higher. The October hog price is up $4.30 per hundredweight since September, and up $11.50 compared with October 2013. Beef prices are up $32 per hundredweight compared with the October 2013 price and up $2 compared with last month.

Both corn and wheat prices remain significantly lower than they were a year ago, with year-over-year all-wheat prices down $1.34 a bushel at $5.60 and feed corn down $1.35 at $3.28 a bushel.

Dairy prices are down 1.6% month-over-month but up 21% year-over-year.

The prices farmers paid for feeder pigs rose $11 to $210 per hundredweight in October. Feeder cattle prices rose $14 per hundredweight to $252 in October.

Here is how some agriculture-related ETFs are trading today:

The Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (NYSEMKT: MOO) was up about 0.8% at $53.56 in a 52-week range of $49.21 to $55.55.

The PowerShares DB Agriculture fund (NYSEMKT: DBA) traded down fractionally at $25.71 in a 52-week range of $24.04 to $29.41.

The Teucrium Corn Fund (NYSEMKT: CORN) was up about 0.5% today at $26.22 in a 52-week range of $22.62 to $35.79.

The Teucrium Wheat Fund (NYSEMKT: WEAT) traded down about 0.7% on Friday at $11.90 in a 52-week range of $10.62 to $17.55.

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