Tuesday markets
Cattle and beef markets were fairly uneventful and unchanging today. Cattle futures were slightly down from yesterday and cash trade was mostly inactive.
Live cattle contracts traded lower, with the August contract down 43 cents to $101.85, October down 25 cents to $106.13 and December down 15 cents to $110.30. Feeder cattle traded in a similar pattern: The August contract was down 28 cents to $141.33, September down 3 cents to $142.98 and October up 15 cents to $143.13.
The latest known CME Feeder Cattle Index was $136.48.
Boxed beef markets have stayed stable and mostly unchanged since slaughter capacity picked back up. On a total of 159 loads, the Choice cutout was down 86 cents to $200.88 and the Select cutout was down 29 cents to $191.30.
Today’s slaughter is estimated at 118,000 head, a thousand head below last Tuesday and a couple thousand below the same time last year.
Cash trading has been slow on light to moderate demand. A few early trades in the Southern Plains moved at $96, but there were not enough trades for a market trend. Trade has been inactive on very light demand in the Northern Plains and western Corn Belt. The latest established market was last week at $95.
In Nebraska, live purchases traded from $96-97.50 with dressed purchases mostly at $157 and in Colorado live purchases traded at $96. In the western Corn Belt, live purchases traded from $97-100 with dressed purchases at $157.
Joplin Regional Stockyards in Carthage, MO, received 4,145 head. Compared to last week, steer and heifer calves and yearlings sold $2-5 higher. Demand was good and supply moderate.
Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City sold 7,584 cattle. Compared to last week, feeder steers sold steady to $3 higher and feeder heifers sold mostly $1-6 higher. Steer calves traded unevenly steady on limited comparable receipts and heifer calves sold $2-8 higher on a very light test. Demand was good to very good. — Anna Miller, WLJ editor
