LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Cash fed cattle prices have pulled back in recent weeks, even as boxed beef values and consumer demand continue moving higher.
Analysis from Certified Angus Beef’s Paul Dykstra shows cash cattle traded near $234 per hundredweight last week, down from roughly $243 two weeks earlier. Pressure has come from broader market uncertainty tied to geopolitical tensions, weaker Live Cattle futures, and smaller weekly harvest volumes that have given packers added leverage. A strike at the JBS Greeley plant has also disrupted regional flows, shifting cattle to other facilities.
At the same time, carcass weights remain unusually heavy, down just 4 pounds since January, compared to a typical 16-pound seasonal decline. That suggests feedyards are becoming less current on market-ready cattle, even with historically tight supplies.
Wholesale beef values are moving in the opposite direction. Cutout prices have surged alongside strong demand, with retail beef prices hitting a record $9.64 per pound in February.
Higher grading is also reshaping the market. Prime carcasses are expected to exceed 14 percent of the mix in 2026, expanding premium beef supply and supporting broader demand growth.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Strong beef demand is offsetting weaker cash cattle.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
Where the Food Comes From producer Donna Sanders takes us along on a behind-the-scenes look at filming the show’s newest episode, “Clemson Blue,” where university cheesemakers reveal how they put the “blue” in their award-winning blue cheese.
October 26, 2023 09:00 AM
·
It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of
Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
October 25, 2023 09:00 AM
·
No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
October 24, 2023 11:32 AM
·
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
October 19, 2023 09:00 AM
·
How does a robot milk a cow?
October 18, 2023 09:00 AM
·
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.
October 17, 2023 01:55 PM
·
