Live cattle futures closed down on Friday, with April futures falling by $1.82 throughout the week, closing at $249.95, down 35 cents. Feeder cattle futures also saw declines, with April futures down $2.82 this week, closing at $371.325. Cash trade reported sales at $248, with the Friday Fed Cattle Exchange auction noting 571 head sold out of 1,222 offered. USDA’s Cattle on Feed report indicated March placements were down 7.67% year-over-year at 1.709 million head.
Additionally, USDA broke ground on a new sterile fly facility in Edinburg, TX, set to open in November 2027 and capable of producing 100 million flies per week. The week’s federally inspected cattle slaughter was estimated at 514,000 head, an increase of 2,000 head from last week but 63,626 head lower compared to the same week last year.
