Cash trade was very quiet at midday last Thursday with just a handful of dressed cattle trading through the first half of the week in the north at mostly steady money. There were bids of $

Light fed cattle trade was underway in parts of the Corn Belt where cattle were selling at $128-129 dressed last Thursday on light volume. Feedlots in Nebraska moved cattle at $129-130 while 1,000 head were sold in Kansas and Texas on Wednesday at $81 live.

There was some early light trade in the southern Plains last Thursday down $1 from the previous week at $82, although volume was light and not enough to call a trend. Some light Corn Belt trade was also $1 lower at $131 dressed.

Cattle feeders came to the table early last week and moved light numbers of cattle at prices steady to $1 lower than the previous week at $83-84 live basis last Wednesday in the South and at $130-132 dressed in the northern tier and Corn Belt.

Fed cattle trade was at a standstill last Thursday with feedlots and packers still priced several dollars apart. Feedlots were asking mostly $84-85 for their showlists and holding firm as a result of the improving August live cattle contract which stood at $85.

There was light trade dressed cattle reported last Wednesday to regional buyers in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt at $1.30. However, the action was slow to develop elsewhere as packers worked to ratchet down production in the face of light buying interest at the retail level.

Fed cattle trade last week was expected to be on the upswing after the market fundamentals took a turn for the better and prices rallied on tighter showlists of market-ready cattle and an improvement in the June contract ahead of expiration.

Fed cattle markets started out softer last week with Corn Belt cattle feeders throwing in the towel on Wednesday after a break in live cattle futures. The early trade was light at $128-131 dressed with live trade at $80-81 in the region.

With the exception of moderate dressed trade in the Corn Belt last week, fed cattle trading was slow to develop. Last Thursday, some cattle traded in the region at $129-130 dressed basis with a few as high as $131-132 dressed in Nebraska.

Fed cattle marketing was off to a slow start last week with most marketings looking to be delayed until late in the week.