On Tuesday, live cattle futures fell by 72 cents to $1.10, following last week’s cash trade at $248 nationwide. Early bidding remained subdued, with offers around $246 reported in Kansas. Feeder cattle futures decreased by $1.05 to $2.05. The CME Feeder Cattle Index dropped by $1.98 to $375.69 on April 17, while the OKC feeder cattle auction sold 5,867 heads, with prices steady to $2-4 lower.
Wholesale Boxed Beef prices were also down, with Choice boxes rising by $3.49 to $387.05 and Select boxes increasing by $5.45 to $389.06. The USDA reported a federally inspected cattle slaughter estimate of 97,000 heads for Monday, a decrease of 7,000 from last week and 6,945 head lower than the same week last year.
