Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

It’s been a typical quiet start to the day and week for cash cattle trade. Bids and asking prices are not yet established with the bulk of the week’s business expected to come later. Beef cutout values are expected to move lower on light box movement. The bulk of last week’s business took place on Wednesday with scattered deals otherwise. Southern live deals were steady with the previous week’s weighted average with most business coming in from $123 to $124. Northern dressed deals ranged from $196 to $200, $1 to $5 lower than the previous week’s weighted averages.  

Boxed beef cutout values are higher at midday, Choice is up $1.20 at $315.67 and Select is 56 cents higher at $280.31. The Choice/Select spread is $35.36.

At the Douglas County Livestock Auction in Ava, Missouri, compared to the previous week, feeder steers sold steady to $4 lower with feeder heifers $3 to $7 lower. USDA says demand was moderate on moderate supply. Feeder supply included 45 percent steers and 39 percent of the offering was over 600 pounds. Medium and Large 1 feeder steers weighing 605 to 642 pounds brought $150 to $161.50 and feeder steers from 700 to 740 pounds brought $140 to $152.50. Medium and Large 1 feeder heifers weighing 402 to 448 pounds brought $145 to $156 and feeder heifers from 478 to 495 pounds brought $145 to $156.

Cash hogs are lower at midday. Processors continue to monitor the availability of market-ready barrows and gilts and have been able to move their desired numbers at lower bids recently. Demand for US pork on the global market and domestically has been strong, which the industry does expect to continue. 

Barrows and gilts at the National Daily Direct have a base range of $78 to $80 for a weighted average of $78.90; prices at the regional markets were not reported due to confidentiality.

Butcher hogs at Dorchester, Wisconsin are $8 lower than the last test at $60. Garnavillo, Iowa is closed for the week.

At Illinois, slaughter sow prices were $1 to $3 lower with good demand for moderate offerings at $58 to $75.  Barrow and gilt prices were $1 to $2 lower with moderate demand for moderate offerings at $47 to $58.  Boars ranged from $12 to $40.  

Pork values are higher at midday, up $2.06 at $107.47. Bellies are sharply higher, up by nearly $20. Ribs are $5 higher; hams are up more than $1. Picnics and loins are lower, butts are sharply lower by nearly $6.