Cattle feed costs impacting profits in 2021

Corn prices have surged higher at the end of November and may take a bite out of cow-calf returns in 2021. The weekly average nearby corn futures contract gained more than a dollar from early August through mid-November. This has affected feeder cattle values, with nearby feeder cattle futures losing $7.50 during that same timespan, even as live cattle futures advanced by more than $7. As the amount that feedlots are willing to pay for feeder animals declines as the cost of adding weight to those animals increases, higher corn prices have the potential to lower returns for beef cattle producers. Read more at Southwest Farm Progress…