CROCKETT, TEXAS (RFD-TV) — Volatility in the cattle market is creating both opportunities and challenges for ranchers as the fall calf run continues.
Superior Livestock representative Will Yeager says producers can use marketing strategies such as contracting to protect their cattle’s value and maintain more control over when they sell. Yeager joined Market Day Report to discuss market conditions, premiums for higher-quality cattle and the tools Superior Livestock offers producers beyond traditional cattle marketing.
Contracting Gives Ranchers More Marketing Flexibility
In his interview with RFD-TV, Yeager said one of the biggest advantages producers have in a volatile market is the ability to stay ahead of price movements rather than waiting until auction day to sell.
Through contracting options, ranchers can establish a marketing plan and choose when they want to market their cattle.
“It gives the rancher the ability to protect their cattle, you know, they worked all year for, and be able to market them when they want to market them,” Yeager said.
Instead of having to accept whatever the market offers on a particular sale day, producers have more flexibility in choosing when to sell.
Yeager said he believes the cattle market is on an upward trend heading into 2027, although he expects continued peaks and valleys along the way.
“You’ve got to be able to stay on top of it and choose your peak,” he said.
Better Cattle Continue to Bring Premiums
Yeager said the market is showing a wider value gap between higher-quality cattle and those with fewer desirable characteristics.
He pointed to genetics and uniformity as two factors driving stronger premiums.
“When the market is good, there’s not much premium difference because everything is high,” Yeager said. “But when the market’s bad, like it is right now, there is a premium in the better cattle.”
He said the price difference between the top and bottom cattle can reach 20 to 40 cents, making consistency and breeding decisions important to a producer’s long-term marketing strategy.
Yeager encourages ranchers to focus on uniformity, build a recognizable identity for their cattle, and stick with a consistent genetic program from year to year.
Resilience Remains Part of Ranching
Beyond market prices, Yeager said volatility requires resilience and a willingness to work through difficult periods.
He pointed to the generations of ranchers who have continued building their operations through changing market conditions.
“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do,” Yeager said.
He said the American rancher has demonstrated that resilience over generations, continuing to adapt and get back up after setbacks.
Superior Offers Purebred Marketing Options
While Superior Livestock is widely known for marketing commercial cattle, Yeager said the company also offers a purebred division.
That division gives producers opportunities to purchase bulls and improve genetics in their herds.
Yeager said upgrading genetics helps ranchers produce a better calf crop and ultimately offer buyers a more desirable product.
He highlighted several upcoming sales, including Wilkes Angus and Capital Angus, along with Gardner Angus in Ashland, Kansas.
LEARN MORE: superiorlivestock.com
