NATIONAL FEEDER & STOCKER CATTLE SUMMARY – WEEK ENDING 06/01/2024
By USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News
RECEIPTS: Auctions Direct Video/Internet Total
This Week: 83,400 38,600 26,700 148,700
Last Week: 153,000 54,300 10,100 217,400
Year Ago: 99,800 30,400 3,900 134,100
Compared to last week, steer sand heifers sold uneven; 3.00 lower to 3.00 higher on light auction volume.
Limited number of receipts this Memorial holiday week as auctions took some time off to recuperate from a busy first 5 months of the year. The Year-to-Date auction receipts on this report are near 200K less than a year ago currently. This is indicative of the contraction in the beef cow herd in recent years and with several auctions moving to summer schedules, receipts will not be coming to sales for a few months now.
Rains across the country continues to delay corn and soybean planting along with first cutting of hay. Warmer weather and more sunshine are in the forecast and should allow many producers to wrap of spring plantings and start baling some hay. With calving season in the books for many ranchers, they move their focus to the next breeding season and the next generation of calves to come next spring. Some producers have had bulls turned out for a month or more, however most look to around Memorial Day for turnout.
The CME Complex this week started the week higher but ended the week on a lower tone. Live Cattle contract were 2.00 to 3.00 lower for the week while the front four Feeder Cattle contracts were over 3.00 lower in the same period. Cash sales remains well above the CME live cattle futures due to light supply of market ready cattle in a large area.
Live sales of negotiated cash fed cattle trade in the Southern Plains sold 1.00 lower at 186.00. In Nebraska, live sales sold 2.00 lower at 190.00, while the dressed sales sold 3.00 lower at 301.00. Choice boxed beef closed the week 2.75 higher at 313.20 while Select was 0.01 lower at 301.71 for the same period.
Weekly Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 540K, 67K less than last week and 28K less than a year ago.
Year to Date Cattle Slaughter is currently 624K less than a year ago. Auction volume this week included 54 percent weighing over 600 lbs and 44 percent heifers.
