# More Call For Beef Crash Investigation



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Agweb...

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/cattle-markets-crashed-r-calf-wants-answers-naa-wyatt-bechtel/


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

The concerns listed are very real. So glad someone has stepped forward to bring concerns to light.

Concern number 11 suggesting the USDA might have been involved is a strong point.

Number 9 about price reporting is a very real problem that needs to be rectified.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I smell a rat.

As I don't trust anyone or any group of people when money is involved, I can (without knowing too many details) believe that price fixing could be involved by those that have the money. Now that the price has dropped, investigations are being called-for to "investigate the collapse in the cattle market".

Many will say that prices were too high at (and before) their peak. Why did these groups not question the *spike* in prices..or at-least not realize that the market's fluctuation was not economically organic?

Worried about money when the money's mine, worried about morals when the money's yours.

I smell lots of rats

73, Mark


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Still I'd much rather have my program tied up in beef and hay than Blue Chip stocks!

We dodged a big bullet as we closed out our lead recovery business and traded for more farming tools and ground. Scrap lead is dropping like lead!


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Also invested in ammo and can goods!


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

azmike said:


> Still I'd much rather have my program tied up in beef and hay than Blue Chip stocks!
> 
> We dodged a big bullet as we closed out our lead recovery business and traded for more farming tools and ground. Scrap lead is dropping like lead!


Shot is still running $40+ a bag here and wheel weights are no longer just lead and antimony, So I'm kinda frugal with my stash of lead and don't drip too much shot with it anymore.

Good time to be liquid and out of the DOW, etc right not too. It has taken a nosedive in recent past...I always told people (not that I know any better than anyone else) that the DOW is too high and is being "propped up" to try to hide the real economy, silver is too low (76:1 ration with gold---theoretically should be 20:1) and it is being manipulated (or downright cheated) buy the "paper silver" market. Tangible silver is harder to come by and demands a few dollar premium over the spot market because it is a known fact that there is more silver "owned" than exists...eventually someone is going to get caught holding onto a bunch of worthless paper. Worthless paper...kinda like our currency.

Ladies and gentlemen, I predict that more and more big market fluctuations will be upon us...then again, I started making a HD umbrella when Chicken Little said the sky was falling 

73, Mark


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Mark, I sure don't understand retail at all, new shot price is $32 here. London Metals traded lead at a 10 year low of 72 cents this week, 60% of that (scrap price) = 43 cents for what we shipped semi loads for 85-87 cents last summer. Problem is finding a buyer in a spooky market...


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## bbos2 (Mar 20, 2015)

glasswrongsize said:


> I smell a rat.
> As I don't trust anyone or any group of people when money is involved, I can (without knowing too many details) believe that price fixing could be involved by those that have the money. Now that the price has dropped, investigations are being called-for to "investigate the collapse in the cattle market".
> Many will say that prices were too high at (and before) their peak. Why did these groups not question the *spike* in prices..or at-least not realize that the market's fluctuation was not economically organic?
> 
> ...


Good point. It just seems like the spike in the markets were much slower. Sure it seemed fast, but just from memory I contracted cattle in the spring of 14', for spring of 15 delivery, for a 140 and sold some non cotracted cattle cash in spring of 15 for 160. Sure a big spike and swing, but it still took a year to get steady high prices. Of course to protect myself I have to deal with huge margins. But there were reasons for upward swings. There just were no cattle out there. Hard winter killed a lot of western cattle, and high grain prices from wide spread drought were finally coming in line with beef prices.

Now it takes twice the money to buy feeders because replacements are few and far between. And besides that it was nice to see cow calf side of things finally in the black after a long time with numbers in the red. then the market falls like a lead ballon not stopping for anything. Guys start loosing everything on one turn of fats because of it. So yeah if there is something to it they should look into it.

What pisses me off the most is the retail side of things never show relation to market unless they are skyroketing. The only ones tied to the market are the ones who are at steak to loose the most, with the most risk and labor.


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## bbos2 (Mar 20, 2015)

12 was interesting...
I remember reading over on ag talk guys were complaining about packers dragging there feet on contracted cattle. It never happened to me but seemed like I heard that a lot. Large carcasses are usually bad for a live cattle market.


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