This monthly report examines the monthly U.S. agricultural imports and exports on both a commodity basis as well as a country by country basis. Data tables of agricultural trade is provided for both volume of trade and value of trade for the recent months as well as the fiscal year. Regular publication of this report has ceased after the February 2007 issue, however periodic reports are still being issued.

Agricultural Outlook (AO) ceased publication in December 2002. A new magazine, AmberWaves, replaced Agricultural Outlook, FoodReview, and Rural America in February 2003. This archive contains AO publications covering commodity markets and trade, farm policy, and other food- and agriculture-related topics. Each release includes data on individual commodities, farm income, the general economy, agricultural trade, and related issues.

Commodity and trade outlook data and information continue to be available on the ERS website. Additional commodity- or topic-specific information may be found in ERS Briefing Rooms.

This archived report does not contain recent information or data. This report examines the cattle cycle of the 1990s to determine if there are differences from previous cattle cycles and, if so, how and why differences occurred.

In early 1996, the peak in the current cycle of cattle inventories coincided with a long list of negative factors: negative returns at the farm and feedlot, record-high feed grain prices, a severe drought in 1995-96, widening farm-retail price spreads; Choice beef dollar, and reports of high profits for beef packers. This confluence created an atmosphere in which some producers and members of Congress questioned whether the cattle industry was adversely affected by high packer concentration and market power. Published April 1999.

In 1997, ERS expanded Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook to include information formerly contained in Cattle and Sheep Outlook. The final issue of Cattle and Sheep Outlook was published November 13, 1996. This archive report contains detailed analysis and data covering the outlook for cattle and sheep, focusing on production, slaughter, price, and trade statistics.

In 1997, ERS expanded Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook to include information formerly contained in Hog Outlook. The final issue of Hog Outlook was published October 15, 1996. This archive report contains detailed analysis and data on the hog sector, focusing on production, slaughter, price, and trade statistics.

This microcomputer program is designed to analyze operating costs for six sizes of beef packing and fabricating plants for five levels of operating output. The program tabulates total costs as well as costs by each of 20 operating stages and by accounts and subaccounts.
PACKER90 is programmed for and is run from BASICA (or other compatible BASIC interpreter). PACKER can be used with a single 360K disk drive, but a fixed drive is preferable.

This publication ceased production in 1986 and was published between 1981 and 1986. Factors affecting poultry industries, such as feed prices and droughts, are included, as well as trends and forecasts across several livestock industries, including hogs and cattle.

Effective November 1982, this report became the Livestock and Poultry Outlook and Situation, reflecting its merger with the Poultry and Egg Outlook and Situation. It was published under the title Livestock and Meat Outlook and Situation from 1947 to 1982 and reported on factors that affected the livestock industry and the consumption and sale of hogs, cattle, sheep and lamb.

This publication was published between 1942 and 1946. Included in each release is data on the number of livestock produced, slaughtered and sold, and the production and prices of wool. Relevant government actions, such as changes to inspection of certification, are also noted.