Cattle Current Podcast—April 13, 2026

Cattle futures closed higher Friday, and on the week, buoyed by steady to stronger early negotiated cash fed cattle prices.

Live Cattle futures closed an average of 96¢ higher.

Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.98 higher, with gains likely capped by wonderment about when the U.S. border will re-open to Mexican feeder cattle imports.

For the week, Live Cattle futures closed an average of $1.99 higher, except for 37¢ lower in the back contract. Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $2.33 higher on the week.

Negotiated cash fed cattle trade was limited on moderate demand in the North through Friday afternoon, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Although too few transactions to trend at the time, there were some FOB live trades at $250/cwt. in the North. The previous week, FOB live prices were mostly $245 in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt and dressed delivered prices were mainly $385.

Trade was inactive on moderate demand in the Southern Plains. For the week, FOB live prices were steady to $1 higher in the Texas Panhandle at $246, the same as in Kansas the previous week.

Choice boxed beef cutout value was 19¢ lower Friday afternoon at $380.90/cwt. Select was 23¢ lower at $381.34. For the week, Choice was $7.14 lower and Select was $7.03 lower.

Estimated total cattle slaughter last week of 512,000 head was 21,000 head fewer than the previous week and 52,000 head fewer than the same week last year. Estimated year-to-date cattle slaughter of 7.6 million head was 846,000 head fewer (-10%). Year-to-date estimated beef production of 6.8 billion pounds was 551.8 million pounds less (-7.5%).

Grain futures were lower Friday.  

Kansas City HRW Wheat futures closed mostly 1¢ to 3¢ lower, with traders likely removing weather premium on the more optimistic moisture outlook.

Corn futures closed 1¢ to 3¢ lower, pressured by the larger global ending stocks revealed in the recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, lower crude oil prices and the improved weather outlook for planting. Corn futures closed 11’7¢ lower through the front six contracts for the week. Those contracts were an average of 25¢ lower over the past two weeks.

Soybean futures closed 5¢ to 10¢ higher through Aug ’27, supported by apparent growing optimism concerning U.S.-China trade talks scheduled for next month.