Prepared and written by Jeff Swenson, DATCP Livestock and Meat Specialist. The Market Update draws information from several sources, including trade publications, radio broadcasts, agricultural news services, individuals involved in the industry as well as USDA NASS and AMS reports.
Cattle
Bids were as much as $8 higher last week and that was enough to move a good number of cattle. There are reports that heavy cattle in western Iowa and Nebraska have been cleaned up and show lists are smaller this week. Live and carcass weights are also expected to decline in the weeks ahead. Packers will be buying for two shortened holiday weeks, and no negotiated sales have been reported through Wednesday of this week. Asking prices are $233/cwt, but bids are closer to $230/cwt. Lower beef production through the end of the year may help the January retail demand slump we typically see. Wholesale prices continue to soften. The Choice beef cutout value was $4.90 lower last week at $359.37. The estimated harvest last week was 596,000 head, 4,000 fewer than the previous week and 14,000 fewer than a year ago.
The federal government shutdown caused a lack of export information, but the September report was recently released. Beef exports for the month were the lowest in more than five years. September exports totaled 14,810 metric tons, 18% lower than a year ago, while value fell 20% to $139.3 million. September beef export value equated to $337.21 per head of fed cattle harvested, down 18% from a year ago; while the January-September average was down 5%, to $393.25. Exports accounted for 10.9% of total September beef production and 8.8% of muscle cuts, down significantly from September 2024. For January through September, exports accounted for 12.9% of total beef production and 10.7% for muscle cuts, each about one percentage point lower than a year ago.
Top Quality
Top quality steers and heifers were steady to $2 higher with some auctions markets reporting larger fed cattle runs. Most brought $219-$230/cwt with some packages to $235/cwt. Mixed Choice and Select steers and heifers ranged from $210-218/cwt. High grading Holstein steers were mixed at $188-$212/cwt, with some higher. Lower grading steers brought $169-$188/cwt. Silage fed, under finished, or heavy dairy breed steers brought $90-$169/cwt. Dairy Beef cross steers were higher to $2 higher, bringing $182-$228. Cows were $2 lower. Most cows brought $108-$141/cwt with a few selling into the mid $150s. Lower yielding cows brought $60-$109/cwt. Doubtful health and thin cows brought up to $60/cwt. Dairy breed bull calves were higher, selling from $600-$1,100/head, with some higher. Dairy breed heifer calves brought $300-$600/head. Beef and Beef Cross calves were steady from $700 to $1,450/head, with some higher. Light and lower quality calves sold up to $60.
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