Cattle market data dashboard by USDA

By Andi Anderson

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has officially launched the Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) Live Cattle Data Dashboard, a new tool designed to offer easy access to live cattle market information.

Announced in June 2024, the dashboard is now fully operational, allowing users to view and understand crucial market data more efficiently.

The dashboard provides detailed insights into net premiums and discounts paid to cattle producers by packers under formula marketing arrangements.

Additionally, users can access comprehensive quality grade price distribution information, helping them make more informed decisions when marketing their cattle.

Over the past several years, AMS has been committed to modernizing the way data is presented to stakeholders, ensuring that everyone involved in the cattle market has the information they need to compete effectively.

According to Pierce Bennett, Livestock Industry Relations Specialist at the Michigan Farm Bureau, the USDA hopes this tool will level the playing field between small producers and large volume data users, fostering a more competitive marketplace.

“The dashboard is now modernized and available, and I would encourage cattle producers to utilize the information as they consider marketing their cattle,” Bennett stated. The LMR Dashboard is part of AMS’s ongoing efforts to make USDA market data more accessible and user-friendly.

In addition to the dashboard, AMS has begun publishing new data on the National Weekly Direct Slaughter Cattle Report Formulated and Forward Contract report. This includes actual net premiums and discounts paid to cattle producers by packers, further enhancing the transparency of market transactions.

Moreover, AMS is now providing detailed quality grade price distribution information through the National Weekly Fed Cattle Comprehensive report. These additions aim to provide producers with even more valuable data to guide their marketing strategies.

5This new dashboard and the additional data offerings represent a significant step forward in making critical market information more accessible to cattle producers, ultimately supporting their efforts to make informed and profitable decisions in a competitive industry.

Photo Credit: usda