Cattle markets reacted negatively to the news earlier this week. Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas have tested positive for HPAI.
As Gateway Livestock Exchange’s Ann Wasko explains, it’s unfortunate, but not unexpected, that futures prices decline when uncertainty creeps into the market.
U.S. spot trading has been light this week, with some declines, but that comes after hitting an all-time high last week, she said. Last Friday, Cattle on Feed reported a 10 percent month-on-month increase in placements in February. This is a big increase, but when averaged over January, overall placements increased by only 1% in two months. That trend is also reflected in Canada’s feed intake.
With a short week heading into the weekend, the second piece of the price puzzle is demand. Wasko says there’s no question pork is the retail winner this Easter weekend.
What does the future hold for calf backgrounding and calf producers? Tap below to listen now or download the podcast audio to listen later.
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