Live cattle futures concluded the session on Wednesday, August 25, down 27 cents at $235.550 for the August contract, while other months increased by 40 to 60 cents. Cash trade was sparse, with dressed trade in the North at $385, a $4 increase from last week, and Southern trade at $237, up $2. The USDA estimated cattle slaughter for Wednesday at 116,000 head, totaling 333,000 for the week, which is 1,000 more than the previous week but 22,968 fewer than the same week in 2024.
In the Fed Cattle Exchange auction, 40 of the 1,268 head offered sold for $245 in Iowa. Feeder cattle futures also saw gains, with the CME Feeder Cattle Index rising by $1.40 to $344.09 on August 12. USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices had a mixed report; Choice boxes decreased 9 cents to $390.49, while Select boxes rose $2.32 to $367.96, narrowing the Chc/Sel spread to $22.53.
