Live cattle futures rose on Friday, with prices increasing by $1.17 to $1.90. Cash trade remained inactive this week, featuring a few sales at $234-$235 in the North. On Thursday, the Fed Cattle Exchange auction reported only 38 out of 1,026 head sold at $370 dressed, with other bids between $233 and $235. Feeder cattle futures also climbed, up $3.50 to $3.80, while the CME Feeder Cattle Index increased by $2.37 to $360.69 on March 18.
According to APHIS, there are currently 1,194 active cases of new world screwworm in Mexico, with 34 cases in Tamaulipas. The upcoming Cattle on Feed report is anticipated to show February placements up by 0.2% year-over-year, with marketings expected to drop by 7.4%. As of Wednesday, USDA reported a federally inspected cattle slaughter of 106,000 head for Thursday and a total of 414,000 head so far this week, reflecting a decrease of 8,000 head from last week and 25,126 head fewer than the same week last year.
