Cattlemen Wonder If Spring Highs Are In

A softer cash fed cattle market leaves cattlemen wondering if the spring highs are in for 2019.
A softer cash fed cattle market leaves cattlemen wondering if the spring highs are in for 2019.
(Greg Henderson)

Cash fed cattle prices drifted $2 to $3 lower for the week, leaving cattlemen facing the reality the spring highs may have been posted. Cash prices in the south were $125 to $126, with prices in the north at $126 to $127. Cattle on a dressed basis sold at $206.

Feeder cattle and calves were called steady to $5 higher at auctions across the nation by AMS reporters.  

Despite this week’s retreat, some feeders believe cash prices could still make a run at a new high in April due to the declining carcass weights. Analysts see signals in the futures market that will prevent such a rally. Specifically, after an almost year-long uptrend in the weekly charts, CME live cattle futures topped last week and have begun the next leg of what some see as a long-term bear market.

While the market’s fundamentals remain strong – good consumer demand, manageable supplies – most market watchers see the cash fed cattle market gradually working lower toward a trading range set during the first weeks of the year. Showlists are increasing and wholesale beef prices are softer. Packer margins remain solidly profitable, which should continue to make them aggressive buyers.

Choice beef cutout prices declined $1.65 for the week, closing Friday at $227.44. Select beef closed at $219.52, up $0.88 from last Friday.

Related Stories:

Cattle Markets Post A Spring Rally

 

Latest News

Biden Administration Restores Wildlife Protections
Biden Administration Restores Wildlife Protections

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to reinstate rules protecting endangered plants and animals, action that would reverse changes made during the Trump Administration that weakened the Endangered Species Act.

Across Breed EPD Adjustment Factors
Across Breed EPD Adjustment Factors

EPDs from multiple breeds can be compared by adding/subtracting the appropriate adjustment factors to the EPDs resulting from the most recent genetic evaluations for each of 18 breeds.

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies
APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

The livestock industry continues to grapple with the first confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle, while federal and state agencies continue to assure consumers there's no concern about the safety of the U.S. milk supply.

Skills Survey Reveals U.S. Agriculture & Food Industry Workforce Needs and Gaps
Skills Survey Reveals U.S. Agriculture & Food Industry Workforce Needs and Gaps

U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles in ag. The AgCareers.com U.S. Skills Survey offers insights, data and trends to address skill development.

USDA Authorizes CRP Graze and Hay Donations to Wildfire Victims
USDA Authorizes CRP Graze and Hay Donations to Wildfire Victims

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants can donate emergency grazing authority to ranchers in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas impacted by recent wildfires.

New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows
New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.