**Live Cattle Futures Surge; New World Screwworm Cases Reported**
On Tuesday, April 26, live cattle futures increased by $1.582 to $243.025, with feeder cattle futures rising by $3.22 to $369.125. Cash trades from last week settled between $234-235, peaking at $238 in the south. The CME Feeder Cattle Index rose 81 cents to $365.93. The Oklahoma City feeder cattle auction reported sales of 7,622 head, with prices for feeders and calves remaining steady, ranging from $4 to $8.
The USDA’s APHIS announced 40 active cases of New World Screwworm in Tamaulipas and one in Nuevo Leon. Secretary Rollins indicated that a phased strategy for reopening U.S. borders to Mexican cattle imports is under evaluation, likely beginning with western ports, distanced from current infestations. In slaughter reports, the USDA estimated 108,000 head were processed on Tuesday, raising the weekly total to 217,000—a 5,000 increase from last week, but still 8,831 below the same week last year.
