Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Futures Slide Midweek
Live cattle futures moved lower during midweek trading, with active contracts falling between 20 cents and 45 cents. Feeder cattle futures also came under pressure, dropping 35 cents to 92 cents across contracts. Cash market activity remained quiet early in the week, while the Fed Cattle Exchange online auction saw a sale at $226 on one lot out of 2,914 head offered, with additional bids listed at $223.
Wholesale beef values pulled back slightly, as Choice boxed beef dropped 43 cents to $375.58 and Select boxed beef decreased 46 cents to $359.01. Meanwhile, USDA estimated federally inspected cattle slaughter for Tuesday at 110,000 head, bringing the week-to-date total to 216,000 head. This represents an increase of 4,000 head from the previous week, though it remains 10,636 head below the level recorded during the same period last year. In crop news, U.S. pasture ratings dipped 1 percentage point to 22% good to excellent.
Market participants will keep a close eye on cash market negotiations, daily slaughter figures, and wholesale beef demand to see if cattle prices can regain momentum. Attention also remains on feeder cattle index trends following a $2.85 increase to $341.47 recorded earlier in the week.
Key points
- Live cattle futures declined 20 to 45 cents across active contracts during midweek trading.
- Feeder cattle futures dropped between 35 cents and 92 cents on Wednesday.
- Wholesale Choice boxed beef prices decreased 43 cents to $375.58, while Select boxes fell 46 cents to $359.01.
- Week-to-date cattle slaughter reached 216,000 head, up 4,000 from last week but down 10,636 from a year ago.
Written by our AI from expert market sources across the web. It can contain mistakes: check the facts before acting on them. Write-ups powered by the free AI API at FreeTheAI.org
How we writeDisclaimerQuestions and answers
Why did live cattle futures fall on Wednesday?
Live cattle futures fell 20 to 45 cents as cash trading remained quiet and wholesale beef prices declined.
What were the latest wholesale boxed beef prices?
Choice boxed beef prices dropped 43 cents to $375.58, while Select boxed beef fell 46 cents to $359.01.
How does current cattle slaughter compare to last year?
Week-to-date federally inspected cattle slaughter stood at 216,000 head, up 4,000 head from last week but down 10,636 head compared to the same week last year.