WASHINGTON (RFD-TV)—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monthly Cattle on Feed report for September showed 11.1 million head in U.S. feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more on September 1, 2025, down one percent from last year.
Placements in August totaled 1.78 million head, 10 percent below 2024, with net placements at 1.73 million. Marketings reached 1.57 million head, 14 percent lower year over year, marking the lowest August marketing level since the data series began in 1996.
Ahead of the report, analysts expected August placements at 88.6 to 93.4 percent of last year, averaging about 91.3 percent. The USDA’s reported figure came in on the lower end of that range, underscoring a slowdown in feeder cattle availability.
Contributing factors include fewer Mexican feeder imports, earlier marketing of lighter-weight calves, and a historically small beef cow herd. The other disappearance was 51,000 head, down six percent.
Tony’s Farm-Level Takeaway: August placements and marketings confirm tighter fed cattle supplies heading into fall. Fewer cattle on feed suggest smaller slaughter numbers this winter, which could support strong prices if beef demand holds firm.
President Donald Trump says a deal is nearly done on lowering beef prices, but he has not released details.
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Peel says Mexico has a much greater capability to expand its beef industry than it did 20 or 30 years ago in terms of its feeding and packing infrastructure.
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The impacts of the government shutdown have reached commodity growers with crops to move, ag economists monitoring the harvest without key data reporting, and meat producers in need of new export markets.
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In a statement provided to RFD-TV News, a USDA spokesperson reiterated President Trump and the USDA’s commitment to farmers in difficult economic times.
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Dr. Jeffrey Gold, President of the University of Nebraska, notes that many heart-related conditions can be prevented through lifestyle changes.
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Support policies that keep U.S. biofuels at the table—marine demand could materially lift corn grind, crush margins, and rural jobs.
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China is not one of our top suppliers of cooking oil, according to USDA ERS data, but does export a lot of used cooking oil to the U.S. for biofuel production.
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