On Tuesday, live cattle futures rose 80 cents to $1.05, with cash prices settling at $230-232 in the South and $240-245 in the North. Feeder cattle futures also showed strength, increasing by $1.45 to $1.90 by midday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index rose $1.10 to $329.93 on July 25. The OKC feeder cattle auction on Monday reported 2,972 head for sale, with steers priced $8-13 higher and heifers $10-20 higher.
In the USDA’s Tuesday morning report, wholesale boxed beef prices increased, noting a Chc/Sel spread of $24.33. The Choice boxed beef was quoted at $366.85, down 88 cents, while Select dropped by $4.33 to $342.52. Estimated cattle slaughter on Monday was 108,000 head, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week but 6,308 lower compared to the same week in 2024.
