Cattle markets will continue to be influenced by uncertainties from coronavirus, and the sharp selloff in financial markets. The DOW closed the week with a 1,985-point gain (9.4%), the DOW’s largest ever one-day gain.

The U.S. CattleTrace mission is to develop and manage a nationally significant, robust and globally accepted voluntary animal disease traceability system for all cattle entering commerce.

Market researchers say sales of shelf-stable food items such as fruit snacks, dried beans and energy drinks jumped in the week ended Feb. 22 as the corona virus began to spread.

In his State of the Rural Economy testimony before Congress this week, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said USDA is working to develop a voluntary label for beef products that will conform to WTO regulations.

An investigation is underway following the theft of 262 steers and heifers from a Lipscomb County, Tex., ranch on February 18.

The world’s largest potential market for beef seems to be shrinking under the strain of the cornonavirus as the government locked down cities for weeks and enforced wide-scale quarantines.