Negotiated cash fed cattle trade continued on Wednesday at mainly steady prices, with live sales at $95/cwt. in the Southern Plains and $96 in the Northern Plains, according to the Agricultural Marketing Service. Dressed trade in the western Corn Belt was at $157-$160.
Cattle feeders offered 1,224 head in the weekly Fed Cattle Exchange auction. Of those, 275 head–three Kansas lots–sold for a weighted average price of $95.62/cwt. with delivery of 1-9 days.
Choice 2-4 steers (169 head) weighing an average of 1,379 lbs. brought an average of $101.79 at the fat auction in Tama, IA, which was 50¢ to 75¢ lower than the prior week.
At Sioux Falls Regional in South Dakota, though, slaughter steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher. There were 459 Choice 2-3 steers weighing an average of 1,451 lbs. and bringing an average of $100.88.
Cattle futures bounced higher, supported by firm cash fed cattle, as well as current cash demand for feeder cattle.
Live Cattle futures closed an average of 85¢ higher (30¢ higher at the back to $2.50 higher in spot Aug).
Feeder Cattle futures closed an average of $1.40 higher (32¢ higher to $2.70 higher in spot Aug).
Choice boxed beef cutout value was 16¢ lower Wednesday afternoon at $200.76/cwt. Select was 52¢ higher at $191.37.
Corn futures closed mostly fractionally higher.
Soybean futures got a boost from Wednesday’s announcement that China bought 389,000 metric tons for delivery in 2020-21.
Soybean futures closed 4¢ to 8¢ higher through Mar ’21 and then mostly 3¢ higher.
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