Category: Agribusiness, Meat, & Other Food
USDA Shutdown Leaves Critical Data Gaps in Some Markets but Not All
Key Insights: USDA data flow has abruptly halted due to the federal government shutdown. Core market reports across beef, pork, grains, and oilseeds are paused or threatened. Past shutdowns show increased volatility, data blackouts, and decision-making risks. Commodity impacts vary, with beef, pork, and grains most vulnerable. DecisionNext offers resilient,...
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The DecisionNext Finished Goods Index Report | October 2025
Key Insights: Hot Dog Index debuts — expanding the DecisionNext Finished Goods Index alongside the Cheeseburger benchmark. Raw material input price surged 33% from May to July before falling 15% into September. Index value peaked at 136 in July, marking an all-time high before a sustained correction. Forecasts project continued...
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Seeing Around Corners
Preparing for the Known Unknowns As the release of the September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report approaches, people in the soy market are watching closely for any changes of yield estimates. In two of the past three years, the USDA has lowered soybean yield forecasts between the...
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The DecisionNext Finished Goods Index Report | September 2025
Figure 1 – The Cheeseburger Index reached 121 with a price of $1.11 in August 2025. Key Insights: August Cheeseburger Index: 121, with a forecast of continued decline through December. Ground beef remains the dominant cost driver at nearly 75% of total raw...
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A Warning to Beef Buyers
Key Insights: Weekly cattle slaughter from August through December 2025 is forecasted to run roughly 38,000 head lower than last year. Elevated carcass weights are not enough to compensate for lower headcounts. Expect constrained boxed beef supply and intensified competition for high-demand cuts this Fall. 2024 Was Hard to Navigate...
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