Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

Direct cash cattle trade activity is off to another very quiet start to the week.  Bids have yet to surface.  Asking prices are sparse, but have been reported in Kansas at $200 live, while the North has been quiet.  Significant trade volume will likely be delayed until sometime Thursday or Friday. 

Boxed beef is higher at midday with solid demand for moderate offerings.  Choice is $1.59 higher at $327.38 and Select is $.97 higher at $306.40.  The Choice/Select spread is $20.98. 

At the Unionville Livestock Market in Missouri, buyers were eager to get back to business following the long holiday break.  Demand was very good on a moderate supply.  Receipts were up significantly on the year.  Feeder supply included 50% steers and 49% of the offering was over 600 pounds.  Medium and Large 1 feeder steers 600 to 644 pounds brought $307 to $337 and feeder steers 702 to 734 pounds brought $277.50 to $291.75.  Medium and Large 1 feeder heifers 519 to 546 pounds brought $304 to $319.50 and feeder heifers 606 to 646 pounds brought $264.50 to $288. 

Cash hog prices were not reported with solid negotiated purchases. Processors appear to be a little more aggressive in their procurement efforts to start the day and look to move big numbers.  While demand for U.S. pork on the global market remains strong, it continues to face some challenges on the domestic side.  The industry continues to monitor the availability of market-ready hogs and hog weights, which crept up almost a pound from the previous week and are slightly above year-ago weights. m The five-day rolling average for barrows and gilts at the National Daily Direct is $79.56.  It’s $79.94 at the Iowa/Minnesota and $79.72 for the Western Corn Belt. 

Butcher hog prices at the Midwest cash markets are steady at $55. At Illinois, slaughter sow prices were steady with moderate demand for moderate offerings at $33 to $45.  Barrows and gilts were steady with moderate demand for moderate offerings at $46 to $56.  Boars ranged from $20 to $30 and $15 to $25.

Pork values were sharply higher at midday – up $3.43 at $91.83.  There was strength across the board in the primals, with hams and bellies both sharply higher.