Mike: "I know I have left myself wide open for a caustic response but I really want to see the other side."
Look at the obvious Mike!
There is obvious supply and demand factors that lead to higher and lower cattle prices on a weekly basis. Excessive supplies, decreased consumer demand, lost export markets, expanded export markets, competitive meat prices, reduced discretionary consumer spending, Ecoli recalls, BSE scares, and the list goes on.
Those factors play on the market continually. These factors affect boxed beef prices and boxed beef prices affect live cattle prices.
How can anyone make a claim for a single factor affecting cattle prices without sorting out all these other variables?
How have captive supplies and packer concentration changed? If captive supplies and packer concentration are the reason for lower cattle prices, WHICH ONE OF THESE FACTORS CHANGES TO ALLOW MARKETS TO GO HIGHER????
What was the level of packer concentration and captive supplies when cattle prices rallied 60% in a year???
How do you explain that?
You can't and nobody else can either.
These market manipulation conspiracy theorists are full of sh*t!
Dropping your cash price when your needs are met is not market manipulation PARTICULARLY WHEN TYSON IS NOT THE ONLY MARKET OR MARKETING OPTION OUT THERE.
This argument is so empty and so stupid it borders on insanity.
~SH~