NATIONAL FEEDER & STOCKER CATTLE SUMMARY – WEEK ENDING 09/28/2024
By USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News
RECEIPTS: Auctions Direct Video/Internet Total
This Week: 173,500 40,800 6,100 220,400
Last Week: 180,600 61,000 38,900 280,500
Year Ago: 195,900 47,300 2,600 245,800
Compared to last week, steers and heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher. Good demand for yearling steers and heifers, especially for those coming right off grass, as the cash fed cattle market has moved higher again, and the cattle futures complex has seemed to find some support.
A few spring born calves are starting to appear in the auctions, most cattle feeders aren’t ready to mess with a bawling calf yet as they are busy trying to finish harvest and the hot days and cool mornings make it difficult to keep a calf healthy.
The hot and dry conditions look to remain as moisture in the forecast is minimal at best.
The calf run will start to get underway in the coming weeks as October begins. Buyers are starting to look for calves with precondition vaccinations especially protocols with a respiratory booster. Buyers will still purchase calves with spring shots but most of a few dollars back from the fall precondition calves.
Dust in the air from fall harvest with farmers busy combining soybeans and corn.
Auction markets in the Southeast are affected in a huge way with many cancelling sales due to infrastructure problems that may/may not get fixed in the immediate future. Torrential downpours from Hurricane Helene isolated towns from Florida through Georgia into the Carolinas, and Tennessee Valley. Many crews are continuing to clear debris, restore power and get supplies into communities that need them as the loss of human life has so far totaled over 120 as of this writing. The farming and ranching communities will have a long road to go to get back to normal, only hoping that their livelihood will take care of them into the future.
Harvest in the Midwest continues to run hot and heavy as farmers push through corn and soybean harvest. Live sales of negotiated cash fed cattle trade in the Southern Plains sold 2.00 higher at 185.00. In Nebraska, live sales sold 2.00 higher at 186.00 to 187.00, while the dressed sales sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher at 294.00.
Choice boxed beef closed the week 3.40 lower at 296.69 while Select was 6.51 lower at 282.08 for the same period.
Weekly Cattle Slaughter under federal inspection estimated at 612K, 2K more than last week and the same as a year ago.
Auction volume this week included 58% weighing over 600 lbs and 43% heifers.
