Live cattle futures closed the Monday session with contracts up $1 to 1.40. Cash trade has yet to see any movement this week, but closed last week with the South coming in at $212-213 and Northern trade up to $217-218. 

Feeder cattle futures closed up 50 cents to $1.275 in the nearbys on Monday. The CME Feeder Cattle Index was back up $3.83 on April 25, with the average price at $291.71. The weekly OKC feeder cattle auction shows an estimated 5,000 head for sale, which is slightly below the same week last year. Steers were up $5-10 from last week, with heifers $5-13 higher.

Over the weekend USDA Secretary Rollins sent a letter to Mexico’s government threatening to restrict live animal imports into the US if the country doesn’t fully cooperate to stop the spread of New World Screwworm. She is giving them until April 30 to make some requested changes or imports will be restricted. 

USDA’s Monday afternoon National Wholesale Boxed Beef report was higher, as the Chc/Sel widened to $17.65. Choice boxes were $6.29 higher at $342.77/cwt, with Select up $5.01 to $325.12. Federally inspected cattle slaughter was estimated at 104,000 head for Monday. That is 1,000 head below the Monday prior and down 5,648 head from the same week last year.

Apr 25 Live Cattle  closed at $215.650, up $1.400,

Jun 25 Live Cattle  closed at $209.600, up $1.350,

Aug 25 Live Cattle  closed at $205.325, up $1.225,

May 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $291.800, up $1.275,

Aug 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $294.950, up $0.650,

Sep 25 Feeder Cattle  closed at $294.075, up $0.525,