Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was limited on light demand through Thursday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Although too few to trend, there were some live sales in the Southern Plains at $155/cwt. and in the western Corn Belt at $157. There were a few dressed trades in Nebraska at $249.
Last week, live prices were $155/cwt. in the Southern Plains and $155-$157 in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt. Dressed prices were $248.
Choice Boxed beef cutout value was 35¢ higher Thursday afternoon at $265.21/cwt. Select was $5.52 higher at $241.81/cwt.
Cattle futures mostly maintained the previous session’s strong gains.
Live Cattle futures closed an average of 18¢ higher, except for an average of 36¢ lower in the front two contracts.
Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of 35¢ higher.
Corn futures closed mostly 1¢ lower.
Soybean futures closed 10¢ to 13¢ lower through Aug ‘23 and then mostly 5¢ to 6¢ lower.
******************************
Major U.S. financial indices closed lower Thursday, led by tech stocks, amid renewed market bearishness.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 348 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 56 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 233 points.
West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil futures (CME) closed 80¢ to 83¢ lower through the front six contracts.
******************************
Farm and ranch operators paid hired workers an average gross wage of $17.72/hour during the October 2022 reference week (Oct. 9-15), up 7% from the October 2021 reference week, according to the latest Farm Labor report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Livestock workers earned $16.52/hour during the period, which was 7% more. Field workers received an average of $17.04/hour, up 6%.
Farm and ranch operators hired 785,000 workers during the period, which was 2% more than the October 2021 reference week.