Market News

Midday livestock markets

Short bought packers are being forced to return to the market today in order to secure slaughter numbers they were unable to gather on Wednesday. So far the post-holiday effort has been limited to a few bids at 195.00 dressed and 124.00 live in the North. Asking prices remain from 131.00 plus in the South and 210.00 plus in parts of the North. Some business should surface by early afternoon.

Choice boxed beef is up .89 at 204.98, and select was 1.91 higher at 195.67.

The Huss Platte Valley Auction at Kearney, Nebraska had their annual Thanksgiving bred heifer and cow sale on Wednesday. Receipts totaled 2125 head. There was a capacity crowd on hand. Several strings of top quality bred heifers and cows were offered. Most of the heifers and cows were bred to black hided bulls, some were bred to Red Angus and Charolais. The bulk of the offering will calve in February and March with a few starting in January. Demand was light to moderate on heifers with a moderate to good demand for bred cows. Medium and large 1 bred heifers AI weighing 1055 to 1200 pounds brought $1660.00 to 2323.00 Three to four year old cows weighing 1075 to 1330 pounds brought $1835.00 to 2125.00.

Feeder cattle receipts at Missouri auctions this week totaled 21,287 head. Compared to last week, feeder steers and heifers traded steady to firm. While several barns took off for the holiday week, there was still a good supply of feeders traveling to and from the sale barns. Feeder prices were trying to gain some ground in the sale barns after several months of lower trends. While feeders are selling slightly higher, buyers are still conscience of quality. Feeders with excess flesh saw some discounts as the winter months approach. Feeder steers medium and large 1 averaging 629 pounds averaged 177.50 per hundredweight. 620 pound heifers brought 165.88.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota, the West and East direct trade areas are not reported due to confidentiality. Nationally the hog market is .73 lower at 50.17 weighted average on a carcass basis. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady at 43.00. There were no live hog sales in the Midwest with markets closed for the holiday weekend.

The pork carcass cutout value is down .69 FOB plant in the morning report.

For the week ending 284.3 pounds, Iowa barrows and gilts averaged .6 pounds heavier than the prior week and 0.3 pounds larger than 2014.

The pork carcass value imploded at midweek with all primals significantly stripped except the belly.