Drovers Cattle Network reports cattle feeders recorded average losses of $141 per head. It’s a $14 improvement compared to last week’s numbers and $124 improvement compared to a month ago.
Sterling Marketing estimated feedyards lost a cumulative unhedged $4.7 billion in 2015, with average weekly losses of $239.26 per head. That compares to an unhedged profit of $3.9 billion in 2014 and losses of $1.1. billion in 2013.
Sterling Marketing also reports cattle feeders were losing $265 per head a month ago, while a year ago feedyard closeouts were down by $153.
Feeder cattle represent 77 percent of the cost of finishing a steer, compared with 81 percent a year ago.
Farrow-to-finish pork producers found profits of $2.88 per hog last week, nearly steady with the previous week, and $5 per head better than the $2 per head loss found a month ago.
Pork packers saw a $2.64 increase in profit margins to $9.47 per head. Negotiated prices for lean hogs were $64.95 per cwt. last week, down 92 cents per cwt. from the previous week.