Cattle futures were lower Tuesday, led by Feeder Cattle.
Toward the close, Live Cattle futures were an average of 32¢ lower. Feeder Cattle futures were an average of $1.62 lower, except for 35¢ higher in spot Aug.
Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was mostly inactive on light demand in Kansas and in the North through Tuesday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Last week, FOB live prices were $255/cwt. in Kansas, $255-$256 in Nebraska and mostly $255 in the western Corn Belt. Dressed delivered prices were mostly $403. The previous week, FOB live prices in the Texas Panhandle were $258.
Choice boxed beef cutout value was 75¢ lower Tuesday afternoon at $385.77/cwt. Select was 2¢ higher at $365.89.
Grain and Soybean futures continued higher Tuesday with follow-through support.
Toward the close and through near Mar contracts, Corn futures were mostly 2¢ to 6¢ higher. Soybean futures were 4¢ to 18¢ higher. Kansas City HRW Wheat futures were 1¢ to 2¢ higher.
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Major U.S. financial indices closed lower Tuesday, amid resurgent Crude Oil prices and another round of selling chip stocks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 130 points lower. The S&P 500 closed 33 points lower. The NASDAQ was down 302 points.
Through mid-afternoon, West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil futures (CME) were $1.98 to $3.68 higher through the front six contracts, on renewed Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz.
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Agricultural producer sentiment eroded last month, based on the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The overall index declined 6 points month to month to 113. The Current Conditions Index fell to an 18-month low of 102, while the Future Expectations Index declined 7 points.
High input costs remained producers’ top concern, with 47% identifying them as the biggest challenge facing their operation, followed by low crop and livestock prices at 23%. A related question revealed that 42% of respondents feel high input costs are limiting improvements in their financial position this year. The survey was conducted among 400 farmers across the nation from June 15-19.
“While high input costs remain the primary constraint on farm financial performance, producers are continuing to make decisions in a broader environment shaped by technology adoption, trade expectations and long-term land value outlook,” according to Michael Langemeier, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.
Additional survey results illustrated the financial challenges facing producers. Just 12% of respondents said their farms were better off financially than a year ago, while only 22% expected their operations to improve over the next 12 months. Reflecting that cautious outlook, the Farm Capital Investment Index has continued its fall from the March 2026 survey to 40, its lowest level since September 2024.
When asked what was limiting improvement in their farm’s financial situation, 42% of respondents cited high input costs, while 17% specified low output prices. Weather risk (14%), policy uncertainty (11%), labor and equipment concerns (9%), and debt or financial pressure (8%) rounded out the remaining responses.
The latest survey included two questions about the use of artificial intelligence and other data-driven tools in agriculture. When asked about potential benefits, 23% of respondents cited increased production as the primary advantage, 14% cited reduced labor needs, and 11% cited reduced risk or uncertainty. However, a majority of respondents (52%) said they did not see a meaningful benefit from these tools.