Observations From Mandatory Livestock Price Reporting For Analysts And Researchers

Mandatory livestock price reporting has changed how prices are reported and used. Reporting has affected the availability of many reports and has added new reports and information. A variety of research issues are facilitated by the scope of new information available. However, the new information often needs to be put into meaningful form for direct use. A brief overview of the evolution and implementation of mandatory price reporting is given. The new price reports are then discussed and compared to voluntary reports. There is enough new information that analysts may be able to make different insights into price formation. Special attention is given to new reports that give insights into the short-run cattle supply situation. While the focus is on cattle reports, swine reports are also briefly discussed.