Market Highlights: Fed cattle prices down 19% since spring

Cattle feeders are hoping this is the bottom of the market as fed cattle prices have declined 19 percent from their spring high. Drovers CattleNetwork reports that Andrew Griffith, University of Tennessee, says the finished cattle market is feeling the effects of the dog days of summer as the air temperature continues to intensify and cattle slaughter remains strong. Cattle feeders continue to be profitable on a cash to cash basis, but margins are certainly tightening as fed cattle prices decline and as the purchase price of animals coming off feed increases. The higher feeder cattle prices paid in the spring will put pressure on cattle feeders if the fed market does not turn in the coming weeks. If $117 is the low, then the seasonal would push live cattle over $130 during the holidays, but this may be a tough target to hit. Read more…