Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

The main item of business in cattle country today is the distribution of this week’s showlists. Last week’s feedlot trade was extremely light with just a slim trade reported on Tuesday and Wednesday. Kansas managed to trade a few cattle late Friday and Saturday. Dressed deals in the North were reported at 195.00, and Kansas live sales at 127.00, both would be about steady with the previous week’s trade. Many feedlots carried cattle over, so packers should start out the week very short bought.

Boxed beef cutout values are higher in the morning report with the choice up 1.19 at 205.59, and select was up .66 at 196.16.

Feeder cattle receipts at Bloomfield, Iowa totaled 2854 head last week. There are no price comparisons as this was a special Saturday calf sale, the last sale reported was a yearling sale. Trade was active and the demand was good. Feeder steers, medium and large 1 averaging 574 pounds brought 191.65 per hundredweight. Heifers weighing 571 pounds brought 164.55.

The Ozarks Regional Stockyard at West Plains, Missouri held a cow and bull auction Saturday evening. Steady rains across the area did not dampen the attendance for the special cow sale. A standing room only crowd was on hand to purchase a variety of packages of mature bred cows and bred heifers. Bred cows medium and large 1, 3 to 6 years old weighing 1189-1419 pounds in second and third stage brought 2250.00 to 2385.00 per head, 18 month to three year old bred heifers brought 2050.00 to 2200.00 per head. Replacement bulls 2-4 years old, a few Angus traded from 2500.00 to 3100.00.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota, Western, and Eastern direct trade areas are not reported due to confidentiality. Nationally the direct market is 1.02 lower at 49.71 weighted average on a carcass basis. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady at 44.00 with some interests still out of the market. Midwest hogs on a live basis are steady with an instance of 2.00 to 4.00 lower from 28.00 to 36.00.

The pork carcass cutout value was up 1.29 at 73.69 FOB plant with only the butt primal lower.

With pork packers currently killing with huge $30-plus a head margins, the potential exists for some of this margin to transition over into better pricing for live hogs, especially as ready barrow and gilt numbers tighten through the winter quarter ahead.