Market Trends with Tracy

🥩 BEEF – The market’s tight and getting tighter. Fewer cattle, expensive steaks, and grinds climbing week after week mean burgers are the summer go-to. With no slowdown in sight, it’s a buy now or pay more later situation. 🐔 POULTRY – Breasts are pausing after a steady climb, while tenders are still on the rise with strong demand. Wings are steady at the bottom, and chicken overall remains the b...

🐄 BEEF: Border closures, parasite threats, and tight supplies – yeah, it’s getting intense. Grinds and thin meats are climbing, middle meats are taking a breather. Memorial Day will tighten harvest even more. This is a buy now or cry later kind of market. 🐔 POULTRY: Chicken’s still climbing – breasts, tenders, all holding strong. Wings? Still the bargain. But a big bump in avian flu cases could...

BEEF 🥩 Record-breaking cattle prices, border closures, and tight supply are all putting heat on the beef market. Grinds are leading the charge, and summer grilling might come with sticker shock. POULTRY 🐔 Chicken stays hot as demand rises and beef prices push more eyes to poultry. Wings still can’t catch a break, but breasts and tenders are on the move. Avian flu update: a few new cases, mostly...

Beef remains tight — production ticks up slightly, but grilling season and shifting demand are pushing grinds higher. Some middle meats are cooling, others still heating up. Poultry prices still split — tenders climb, breasts stay high, wings dip again. Production’s up and bird flu cases stayed low this week. Grains drift down — corn and wheat slide, soy holds firm. Ethanol chatter could shake thi...

The beef market is catching its breath, but ground beef continues to climb as shoppers trade down from pricier cuts. Could this pause be the calm before another round of increases? Chicken takes a breather this week, but there’s chatter about a possible summer sandwich surge. Plus, a surprisingly quiet week on the avian flu front during peak migration season. Grain markets are stuck in a holding p...

Beef production remains limited as packers focus on profit over volume, keeping middle meats inflated heading into summer. Chucks and rounds are softening, while ground beef is climbing as consumers trade down. Buy early – prices aren’t cooling off anytime soon. In poultry , boneless skinless breasts and tenders continue to climb, while wings drop again, making them the value buy. Production is st...

We're back with some Spring Market Trends! Beef production remains tight at 564K head, keeping prices strong, especially for ribeyes, tenderloins, and strip loins. With Cinco de Mayo approaching, thin meats are in high demand, and waiting to buy will likely cost you more. Strong beef prices are driving up demand and prices for chicken breasts and tenders, while wings continue to drop and are...

Beef: Tight inventories and rising demand continue to push the market higher, with last week’s production dropping to 560K head. Ribeyes are climbing, while rounds and chucks are still trending down. This is a buy-now market—waiting will likely cost you more in the coming weeks. Poultry: Boneless skinless breasts and tenders are up again, while wing prices may have hit their floor. Production rema...

Happy Spring! Beef: Warmer weather has jump-started the beef market, with strip loins and ribeyes seeing a price surge. Production is inching up, but inventories remain tight, and thin meats like flanks, sirloin flaps, and skirts will rise through Cinco de Mayo. Outside of grinds moving lower, waiting to buy could mean paying more later. Poultry: Chicken wings are dropping in price, while breasts...

Weekly beef harvests rose to 578K head from 566K last week. As the weather improves and grilling season picks up, harvests could approach 600K head. Middle meats, chucks, rounds, and grinds have likely bottomed out and are expected to climb, making now a good time to buy. Shell egg prices have dropped – not because of better availability but due to reduced demand from high prices. Avian flu report...

Beef remains in the same pattern as previous months. Rounds, chucks, and grinds continue declining while middle meats trade sideways. There is some sign of life within thin meats, flank steak, and sirloin flaps. Poultry production and demand continue strong. Breasts and tenders are up for next week. It was the best week we've had in months on the Avian Flu front. There were 9 new reports affe...

Beef processors continue to keep production numbers down. Strip loins are moving higher while the other middle meats move lower. We've most likely seen the bottom on ribeyes and tenderloins. This pattern should hold steady in the next few weeks, waiting for warmer weather to help boost demand.  Chicken production continues running about 3% over last year. Wings are down for next week while br...

Beef harvest continues to decline which should slow price declines. The only area continuing to increase is strip loins. Other cuts should stay where they are until the weather breaks or demand picks up. Avian Flu reports show 3.3 million birds were removed last week, with 3.1 million of those being egg-laying chickens. Egg pricing will continue to be high. Fresh chicken pricing is moving higher t...

Happy Valentine's Day! 💘 Another difficult week for Avian Flu. Eggs will continue to rise until we have enough supply to meet demand, which could be a while. In fresh chicken, demand is strong and pricing is up on all three segments. There is plenty of chicken available and it's all being sold. Beef harvest is down to keep pricing from falling during a lower beef demand month. This shou...

Avian Flu continues to infect poultry flocks. 32 new cases were reported this week affecting 3.8 million birds. This is not a short term issue. For fresh chicken , wings and tenders are steady and breasts are up. Chicken production continues strong and a good option in protein. Beef production will be reduced for the next couple of weeks. This will keep the market tight on inventory and slow decli...

We'll start this week with a quick recap of Avian Flu , followed by the report for the current week, and how the flock can be rebuilt. In poultry , wings and tenders are steady while breasts are up just a bit. Enjoy these prices on Super Bowl Sunday. February is a soft month for beef demand and the market is due for some correction. Middle meats have finished their declines after the holidays...

Chicken production continues strong up over last year by 2%.  For the week we have steady markets on wings, boneless skinless breasts up just a bit and tenders staying steady for the week. The hatch rate is down to 78.9%, hatch rate being the percentage of eggs successfully hatched into baby chicks.  Industry goal is 80% which we have not reached in about a year.  I do expect we will see steady to...

The beef market is remarkably strong starting the year. Ribeyes and tenderloins continue to decline while chucks, rounds, and grinds continue to increase. We should see this pattern for a couple more weeks. Chicken production is up 3% over last year. Wings, breasts, and tenders are steady. This week, two million birds were removed from the food chain due to Avian Flu. Pork bellies are down just a...

The beef market is very tight after the holidays and winter weather. We have seen steady increases in rounds, chucks, and grinds. Ribeyes and tenderloins are declining just a bit. If you need middle meats, wait to buy; with all other cuts, waiting will cost you money. Chicken production has started the year off strong. Pricing on wings, breasts, and tenders is holding steady. Expect to see modest...

Last week's holiday-shortened production of 434K head and this week's reduced schedule has tightened beef inventories to start the year. While ribeyes and tenderloins continue to decline in value, rounds, chucks, and grinds are climbing, with forecasts pointing to higher beef prices and lower per capita consumption in 2025. Chicken prices are steady, with 2024 production up 2% over 2023...

Beef availability could be tight for the next couple of weeks due to the holidays. If you need middle meats, wait until you need them to buy. If you need rounds, chucks, or grinds, buy now. Chicken production is strong and demand is good. Wings are moving higher for next week, while randoms and tenders are up a few pennies. 23 new cases of Avian Flu were reported last week affecting 2.4 million bi...

The Avian Flu is a major issue worldwide. There were 22 new reports this week affecting about 2 million birds in California and the central U.S. The UN released a report citing Avian Flu in 108 countries, affecting over 500 bird species and 70 species of mammals. Worldwide, 76 people have been diagnosed. The chicken market is holding steady for the holiday week. Expect wings to go up during the he...

This was the worst week of reports for the Avian Flu in years. There were 21 new reports affecting 7.5 million birds. Chicken wings moved up a few pennies, breasts are down a few, and tenders are steady. Production remains strong. Beef production is holding strong for the holidays. Buy middle meats now, waiting will cost you money. Rounds, chucks, and grinds continue to be better values right now....

It's the holiday season, and beef continues the same trends of the last few weeks. Middle meats continue to increase and chucks, rounds, and grinds continue to decline. If you need middle meats, buy now. Mexico announced to the USDA that New World Screw Worm has been found in cattle, so exports to the US will temporarily cease while that is being dealt with. The chicken market is steady and p...

One week until Thanksgiving! 🦃 Chicken pricing is steady, as it's not the featured protein this time of year. Production remains steady as well. There is grizzly news on the Avian Flu front. Hawaii has reported its first case along with 16 other new reports this week, all on the West Coast. Beef production is down this week and the price pattern remains the same. Middle meats continue to mov...