Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

The main item of business in cattle country on Monday is the distribution of the new showlists. Bids and asking prices have yet to be established. Last week’s trade took place mostly on Thursday in the South at 160.00, generally 2.00 lower than the previous week. Business in the North didn’t really get started until Friday, dressed deals ranged from 253.00 to 259.00, steady to 3.00 lower.

Boxed beef cutout values are higher in the morning report with the choice up .45 at 240.76, and select up 1.70 at 239.49.

Feeder cattle receipts today at the Joplin, Missouri Regional Stockyards totaled only 3,000 head. The sale started late due to light receipts and weather. Comparable sales of calves were steady with last week. Yearlings were scarce in the early rounds. The demand was called moderate on a light supply. Feeder steers medium and large 1weighing 400 to 500 pounds traded from 275.00 to 315.00 per hundredweight. 4 to 5 weight heifers ranged from 245.00 to 275.00.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade opened 3.29 higher the West was up 3.87 with both at 63.01 weighted average on a carcass basis. Eastern markets are not reported due to confidentiality. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady from 52.00 to 53.00. Midwest hogs on a live basis are steady to 2.00 higher from 34.00 to 44.00.

The pork carcass cutout value is .98 higher at 72.48 FOB plant.

The hog kill last week totaled 2.285 million head, up 2.8% from the week before and up a whopping 8.2% from 2014. Hog slaughter has been above the year ago level for six of the last seven weeks. Compared to a year ago, pork production during the last five weeks was up 6.9%.