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America’s cattle feeders earned an average of $323 on a cash basis for every steer and heifer they sent to market during the first eight months of 2017.

The cash market for fed cattle last week gave some relief to feeders and overall market sentiment in the wake of the prior week’s $5/cwt. decline.

Cattle feeding profits improved with $1 per cwt. higher cash prices and lower feeder cattle prices calculated against last week’s closeouts.

Losses continued to grow for feedyards and the spread between feeder losses and packer profits only widened with a $1.50 per cwt. decline in cash cattle prices last week.

While cash cattle prices slipped only modestly, cattle feeders saw margins erode by $86 per head, falling from an average profit of $38 two weeks ago to an average loss of $49 per head last week.

Beef packer continued with a stranglehold on cattle markets last week, buying a few cattle to fill their needs at lower money and keeping operating margins historically high.

Billions in breaks for energy sought in ‘tax extenders’ bill.

Beginning Monday, USDA’s Market News will issue two new reports based on Mandatory Livestock Reporting data to provide further insight into formula cattle trades and help promote fair and competitive markets.

With the industry divided on the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act legislation, perspectives range across regions of the U.S. TCFA president and CEO Ben Weinheimer shares his southern plains viewpoint.

AgriTalk host Chip Flory discusses the status of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act with Senators Deb Fischer and Chuck Grassley.