NATIONAL  PASTURE  AND  RANGE  CONDITION  STARTS  POORLY

Monday, May 6, 2013 was the first week pasture and range conditions were included in the USDA-NASS Crop Progress Report. After two years of drought, the 2013 season generally opened with poor conditions and delayed green-up. Overall, U.S. pasture and range conditions are much worse than where 2012 started with over 35% being rated poor and very poor, the two worst categories. Last year, only 17% was rated in the two worst condition categories and the prior 5-year average (2007 through 2011) was 18%. This year is actually the worst first week dating back to 1995, when USDA began this report.

MAY  1  HAY  STOCKS  DROP

            USDA-NASS released hay stocks data as of May 1^st which is the end of the national crop-year. Hay stocks are based on surveys of producers conducted twice each year (the prior report was as of December 1, 2012). Especially in drought years, those USDA hay stocks reports are critical. Nationally, hay stocks as of May one were even tighter than anticipated by the LMIC. As of May 1^st, U.S. hay stocks were record low at 14.2 million tons, down 7.2 million tons from a year ago. USDA began the May 1^st report in 1960 and the prior low was 15.0 million tons as of May 1, 2007.

CULL  COW  PRICES 

             Cull cow prices did not increase as much as normal into the winter months this year and have been under pressure during recent weeks, contra seasonally. Typically, as slaughter cow supplies diminish and as fed cattle prices strengthen into spring, cull cow prices increase. That happened this year, but the uptick was much less than normal and short-lived.