With beef cow slaughter down 20% and cull bulls breaking the $200/cwt. barrier, record-heavy steer weights are fueling a surge in demand for lean beef to blend for the spring grilling season.
Cattle futures are sharply lower on Monday with feeder cattle touching limit down at one point on economic uncertainty according to Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the uncertainty of the war in Iran has caused some reallocation of money this week.
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says the grain and cattle futures are reacting negatively to the uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict.
CattleFax has opened its 2025 Cow-Calf Survey for beef producers to benchmark profitability and industry trends. Participants can win one of three $700 vouchers by completing the survey by March 31.
Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the USDA Cattle on Feed report was providing some support. The on feed number came in at 98% of a year ago, placements were at 95% which was below trade estimates and marketings were at 87%.
The beef industry has evolved and consequently, so are the drivers to the industry’s economics.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle market is also awaiting cash direction.
University of Arkansas’ James Mitchell explains the cost of price risk in 2026 could be no different than last fall.
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says cattle futures are getting overbought and ran into another layer of chart resistance Wednesday but higher cash could push the market to new highs.
CattleFax’s Patrick Linnell predicts a slow, cautious rebuild as aging producers, labor shortages and volatility reshape expansion decisions.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle futures have been chopping back and forth this week and need to take out last week’s highs on the charts to break out and to new highs.
Live and feeder cattle futures were higher early Monday extending gains after Friday’s higher cash trade says Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek.
He thinks cash could be higher again this week.
He thinks cash could be higher again this week.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says after crashing Thursday on fears of a beef plant strike, cattle are recovering on higher cash.
2026 is not the year the cattle cycle “fixes itself.” It is the year the industry learns how to ration a smaller supply base without blowing itself up.
Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, says fed cattle cash prices may exceed last year’s but the average will be similar to 2025.
Don Close with Terrain says consumers have not seen sticker shock with the record retail beef prices in the store.
Tyler Schau of AgMarket says cattle futures make new highs for the move on higher cash and the report tailwind. Soybeans followed soybean oil which rallied as Treasury released 45Z guidance and that pulled up corn.
USDA’s annual report reveals the smallest total herd since 1951, with beef cow numbers falling to 27.6 million despite a slight uptick in replacement heifers.
Joe Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle markets have gotten caught up in the outside market money flow but are also seeing some caution ahead of the USDA semi-annual cattle inventory report to be released Friday.
Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says he was concerned the trade might view a slightly bearish Cattle on Feed report placement number as a reason to sell but the market was more focused on the higher cash trade Friday.
Live and feeder cattle futures were weaker to start Friday as the market was seeing some profit taking and caution ahead of the USDA Cattle on Feed Report according to Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek.
Brad Kooima discusses the drivers behind current cattle market volatility and how supply shortages are shaping packer strategies.
Doug Ferguson explains how he uses sell-buy marketing strategies to maximize profit.
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says with the confirmation of no cases of NWS in the U.S. the cattle market should rebound Tuesday. However, with outside markets seeing risk off selling that may temper some of the buying interest in cattle.
Joe Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says cattle futures were down early on liquidation ahead of the three day weekend, lack of fed cash news and a rumor of NWS in the U.S.
Texas A&M’s David Anderson breaks down the current cull cow market and shares his prediction for future cow prices.
