Live cattle futures fell by 45 to 55 cents at midday on April 26, with cash trade limited to a few sales around $234. The Fed Cattle Exchange reported no sales from the 1,024 head offered, with bids ranging from $233 to $235 live. Feeder cattle futures, however, rose by 20 cents to $1.42, with the CME Feeder Cattle Index increasing by 19 cents to $361.78.
According to USDA’s Export Sales report, 10,691 metric tons of beef were sold in the week ending March 19, a notable increase compared to the previous week, while shipments reached a three-week high of 14,486 metric tons. The USDA also estimated that federally inspected cattle slaughter on Wednesday totaled 103,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 315,000 head, which is 7,000 head higher than last week but 49,954 head lower than the same week last year.
