On Tuesday, live cattle futures rose by $3 to $3.40, with August live cattle closing at $234.275. There were no deliveries for August cattle, and cash trade has been stable this week, with Southern values reported at $235-236 and Northern trade at $247. Meanwhile, feeder cattle futures increased by $5.10 to $5.65, with August feeder cattle closing at $341.050.
Beef export totals for June were reported at 217.03 million pounds, marking the lowest monthly export since June 2020. USDA estimated cattle slaughter for Tuesday at 115,000 head, contributing to a weekly total of 216,000 head, which is a decrease of 5,000 head from the previous week and 22,589 head lower compared to the same week in 2024.
USDA Wholesale Boxed Beef prices also saw increases, with Choice boxes up $4.15 at $369.94 and Select boxes up $4.35 at $345.94. The Chc/Sel spread was noted at $24.00.
