Cattle feeding margins have improved significantly the past month, yet losses remain the norm. Beef packers continue to struggle with tight supplies and range-bound wholesale beef prices. Pork inches toward breakeven.
Cash cattle traded lower in all regions for the first time in more than a month, but futures prices rose Friday to the highest levels in nearly four months.
Improving prices for live cattle helped boost cattle feeding margins to near breakeven, but higher bids pushed beef packer margins deeper into the red. Pork producers also found improved margins but remain in the red.
Fed cattle broke through $180 barrier this week, establishing the highest prices since the week ending November 3 and cattle feeders continue to gaining leverage.
Improving prices for live cattle helped boost cattle feeding margins but the higher bids and lower wholesale beef prices turned packer margins negative. Pork producers also found improved margins but remain in the red.
Bullish traders showed their hand at the CME pushing April LC to a three-month high and helping spur a solid rally in cash cattle markets. Inventory report confirms tight supplies will remain for the near future.
Improving prices for live cattle and wholesale beef lifted margins for both feeders and packers. Pork producers also found improved margins but remain in the red.
The January thaw across most of the cattle feeding regions helped spur the year’s first weekly gains for market-ready cattle. The rally was noticed by traders in Chicago as futures markets posted 10-week highs.
A federal jury awarded a Tennessee couple nearly half a million dollars in damages after their cow herd was seized without a warrant and sold at auction by a local sheriff’s office.
Weather continues disrupting shipping and harvest operations for livestock producers across the Corn Belt and Central Plains as both cattle and hog feeding losses continue to mount.
