NATIONAL FEEDER & STOCKER CATTLE SUMMARY – WEEK ENDING 01/25/2025
By USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News
RECEIPTS: Auctions Direct Video/Internet Total
This Week: 194,400 17,900 56,900 269,200
Last Week: 334,700 23,600 67,500 425,800
Year Ago: 257,600 47,500 48,100 353,200
Compared to last week, steers and heifers sold uneven; 2.00 lower to 2.00 higher. Demand continues to be good to very good as buyers have been active. While the market has been on fire, the coldest temperatures of the year so far arrived last weekend causing extra problems with feeding equipment as many trucks and tractors just didn’t have much desire to start and run. Combine that with frozen waterers and a broken pipe here and there, most producers are ready for green grass even though there is still a lot of winter and feeding left. Even the ranchers in the Southeast were not spared as the Panhandle of Florida received up to 9 inches of snow from Winter Storm Enzo, the once-in-a-lifetime that left millions of people with the most recorded snow in a century in cities like New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola.
Regional prices tracked on a sister report to this one posted record highs for the first three weeks of the year, however this week there was just a little break in the runup as the market seemed to have rested a bit this week to take in the glow of the record highs. With prices received recently being the highest ever, ranchers continue to want to take advantage of the market in their business decisions. Cattle feeders are very critical of those backgrounded cattle that are carrying extra flesh. The good, green cattle are very easy to sell, and those carrying too much flesh for their weight are much more difficult to sell.
Although still well behind the cash market, cattle futures posted strong gains for the week. The nearby live cattle contract passed the 200.00 mark for the first time in history and set new record highs multiple days last week. The CME Cattle Complex was fueled by the cash trading of feeders and fed cattle this week as the spring through summer Live Cattle contracts were 4.400 to 5.525 higher for the week. Feeder Cattle contracts were even more impressive as March and April contracts were 8.525 and 7.325 higher on the week.
The biggest news of the week, however, came on Friday afternoon when the monthly cattle on feed report was released. On feed numbers were reported at 99 pct of a year ago and Marketings were at 101 pct, right in line with pre report estimates. The most watched number on this report was the Placement value of 97 pct of a year ago, much lower than the expected value which resulted in a bullish report collectively. The gap in fed cattle prices between the south and north has once again gotten quite wide.
Negotiated sales of slaughter steers and heifers in the Southern Plains sold steady to 1.00 higher at 201.00 to 202.00. In Nebraska, live sales were 7.00 higher at 210.00 to 212.00, while dressed sales sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher at 328.00 to 330.00 with a few up to 339.00.
For the week, Choice Boxed beef closed on Friday at 327.92, 5.77 lower and Select closed at 316.29, 3.54 lower.
Weekly Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 599K, 4K less than last week and 16K less than a year ago.
Auction volume this week included 60% weighing over 600 lbs and 42% heifers.
