Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

USDA Mandatory is reporting negotiated cash cattle trade is active on very good demand in the Southern Plains. Early live sales in the Texas panhandle have ranged from 135.00 to 137.00. In Kansas early live sales have ranged from 136.00 to 137.00. Trade is slow on very good demand in all other feeding regions as some producers continue to pass current bids. Some asking prices are around 135.00 to 136.00 in the South and 215.00 to 218.00 in the North.

Boxed beef cutout values are firm to higher in the morning report. Choice beef is up .12 at 219.30, select 207.02, up 1.30.

Cattle receipts at the Tama, Iowa slaughter cattle auction totaled 343 head. Compared to last week, slaughter steers 1.75 to 2.00 higher, choice heifers 1.00 to 1.25 higher, choice Holstein steers steady, slaughter cows were mostly steady. Trade was active with good demand. Slaughter steers choice 2-4 traded from 132.00 to 136.30. Slaughter Holstein steers choice 2-3 ranged from 95.00 to 102.00. Slaughter heifers choice 2-4 brought 134.00 to 137.46.

Feeder cattle receipts at the St. Joseph, Missouri Stockyards totaled 2,632 head on Wednesday. Compared to last week, steer calves sold steady to 5.00 higher. Feeder steers traded 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 4.00 higher with instances of 10.00 to 11.00 higher on 600 to 650 weights. Trade was active, and demand was very good for all cattle. Feeder steers medium and large 1 averaging 679 pounds averaged 163.65 per hundredweight. Feeder heifers weighing 513 brought 143.15.

Sioux Falls Regional Livestock at Worthing South Dakota had receipts of 824 sheep. Compared to last Wednesday. Slaughter lambs were very lightly tested with sharply higher undertones evident Feeder lambs were lightly tested last week with higher undertones noted. Demand was very good for slaughter and feeder lambs. Slaughter lambs wooled and shorn choice and prime weighing 155 pounds brought 193.52 per hundredweight. Feeder lambs weighing 54 pounds brought 292.74 per hundredweight.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade are .55 higher at 55.38 weighted average on a carcass basis, the West is up .13 at 55.05, and nationally the market is. 03 higher at 54.50. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady from 47.00 to 49.00. Midwest hogs on a live basis are steady from 34.00 to 36.00.

The pork carcass cutout value is up .55 at 74.02.

For the week ending April 22, Iowa barrows and gilts averaged 284.9 pounds, 1.1 pounds heavier than the previous week, and .9 pounds heavier than 2016.