Posts by Paul Dykstra :

Implications of Heavier Finished Weights

Date: Jun 17 2026

| Uncategorized

Producers have never been more equipped to tackle both terminal and maternal traits of importance. The key is likely to measure the value of any directional changes alongside the potential that current trends in customer demands may evolve in a different direction in the near future

Margins Sqeeze, Markets Cool: What It Means for Fed Cattle

Date: Jun 03 2026

| CAB Insider

Focused marketing of a premium beef brand demands some attention to tracking price spreads across differing quality specifications. The USDA quality grade scale provides the domestic measuring stick by which the trade differentiates demand across the quality spectrum.

Rapid Decline in Select Carcasses

Date: May 20 2026

| CAB Insider

The steep upward price trajectory in the fed cattle market remains wholly supported on fed cattle remaining in tight supply and the tight grasp of cattle feeders keeping feedlot stays and carcass weights elevated. Weights continue to underpin beef production tonnage, cutting the harvest pace deficit for fed cattle.

Quality Soaring Higher

Date: Mar 19 2026

| CAB Insider

Increased Prime carcass production is a boon to sales growth in this category for both Certified Angus Beef and the industry as a whole. A smaller Prime cutout premium above Choice also means greater adoption of this premium product tier by grocers and restaurants. All of the above lead to a firmer foothold for beef as the protein of choice for consumers.

Protein Price Spreads

Date: Feb 25 2026

| Uncategorized

The “all fresh” retail beef price increased 10% from 2024 to 2025, with another 6% the prior year. Yet consumers have a choice in meeting their protein needs, and they continue to demand beef at an impressive level.

Utilization Key to Prime Success

Date: Feb 11 2026

| CAB Insider

More demand for individual Prime grade cuts is being discovered on the part of packers and wholesalers as they educate downstream users about the opportunities to capitalize on growing Prime demand.

Seasonal Demand Shifts Carcass Values

Date: Jan 28 2026

| CAB Insider

January often presents the lowest beef demand, while February likely vies second. Also, we see a shift in consumer preference away from holiday middle meat roasts toward end cuts for “comfort food” meals.