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Live cattle futures declined by 35 cents to $1.40 on Wednesday, April 26, with April futures up a nickel. There were 3 deliveries for April live cattle in Dodge City. Cash trade remained quiet, with only a few cattle selling for $248 in the South; last week’s sales were between $246-249 in the South and $249-250 in the North. The Thursday morning Fed Cattle Exchange reported no sales for 1,222 head, with bids ranging from $246 to $248. In contrast, feeder cattle futures rose between $2.37 and $4.30 on the same day, with the CME Feeder Cattle Index increasing by 44 cents to $375.46.
Wholesale boxed beef prices reported a slight decline, with Choice boxes down $1.22 at $381.98 and Select boxes also down $1.22 to $378.58. The USDA estimated federally inspected cattle slaughter at 109,000 head for Wednesday, bringing the total for the week to 325,000 head—up 5,000 from the previous week but down 20,299 head compared to the same week last year.
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