Market News

Midday cash livestock markets

USDA Mandatory is reporting cattle trade in Nebraska is moderate on good demand with early dressed sales 5.00 to 7.00 higher than last week at 215.00 on a dressed basis. Trade in Kansas is light on good demand with a very few live sales at 136.00. Trade remains inactive on light to moderate demand in all other feeding regions as producers continue to pass on current bids. The estimated sales volume is 12,000 head.

Boxed beef cutouts are near steady to lower in the morning report. Choice beef is up .04 at 245.58, but select at 217.10 is down 1.08.

The Springfield, Missouri Livestock Marketing Center sold 1,943 cattle on Wednesday. Steer and heifer calves weighing less than 450 pounds were not well tested. Good quality steer calves weighing 500 to 550 pounds sold 10.00 to 13.00 lower, calves weighing 550 to 600 pounds were steady to 3.00 lower. Steers over 600 pounds and heifers over 450 were steady to 6.00 higher. The trade was active with moderate to good demand. Feeder steers medium and large 1 averaging 877 pounds brought 145.10 per hundredweight. 525 pound heifers averaged 148.79.

Sheep receipts at the Sioux Falls Regional Livestock at Worthing, South Dakota totaled 773 head. Slaughter lambs trended 4.00 lower than last week with a couple of instances of 10.00 lower. Feeder lambs weighing less than 80 pounds had a mostly lower undertone in a narrow comparison, those weighing over 80 pounds were steady. There was a good demand for slaughter and feeder lambs, a more moderate demand was evident for slaughter ewes and stock returning to the country. Slaughter lambs wooled and shorn, choice and prime 2-3 averaging 139 pounds brought 201.68 per hundredweight. Feeder lambs medium and large 1-2 weighing 81 pounds averaged 125.00 per hundredweight.

The Fort Atkinson, Iowa Hay Market had a much smaller sale this week with most consigners sold out. The overall hay average was called steady. Most farmers in the area in a hurry to finish planting and get started with hay, if they have any worth keeping. Many alfalfa stands were damaged by all the wet weather since last fall and in some areas some severe hail damage. Some customers are looking for small square straw bales and excellent quality wheat straw. Utility hay brought 10.00 to 70.00 per ton, fair quality 50.00 to 105.00, good 90.00 to 130.00, and premium quality hay 210.00 per ton.

Barrows and gilts in the Iowa/Minnesota direct trade are not reported due to confidentiality, the west is 2.02 lower at 72.23 weighted average on a carcass basis, and the national report is 1.45 lower at 72.18. Missouri direct base carcass meat price is steady to 1.00 higher from 63.00 to 67.00. Midwest hogs on a live basis opened steady to 1.00 higher in a range of 46.00 to 50.00.

The pork carcass cutout value in the morning report was 91.10, up .10 FOB plant. Ribs and loins were sharply lower, but bellies were higher.

Though many traders are willing to bet pork export demand will remain as strong as that seen in the first quarter, weekly sales have been slowing in recent weeks, according to DTN’s John Harrington.