LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Fed cattle quality reached a historic milestone last week, with 89.4 percent of carcasses grading Choice or better, reshaping how premiums are determined across the beef complex. The shift is compressing traditional spreads and altering packer procurement signals.
According to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service weekly grading data, the share of cattle grading Choice or Prime climbed to an all-time record. That level significantly reduces the volume of Select beef available, which has historically been the benchmark for measuring quality premiums.
Operationally, a higher percentage of Choice and Prime narrows the Choice/Select spread, while increasing attention on the Choice/Prime differential. As Select becomes a smaller portion of the grading mix, pricing leverage increasingly centers on Prime premiums and branded beef program eligibility.
The trend reflects long-term shifts in genetics, feeding practices, and carcass weights. Longer days on feed and selection for marbling have steadily lifted quality grades over the past decade, even as cattle numbers tighten nationally.
Looking ahead, sustained high grading percentages could redefine how futures spreads and cash market negotiations interpret quality signals.
"Farm-Level Takeaway: Record Choice grading levels are changing how beef quality premiums are valued."
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
F-10 Wound Spray can now be used for livestock and other animals as officials monitor the ongoing New World Screwworm outbreak in Mexico.
March 13, 2026 01:31 PM
·
China’s stricter inspection rules prompt Cargill to pause soybean exports from Brazil, briefly lifting U.S. soybean prices as traders anticipate potential shifts in global trade, as export demand remains supportive across all major U.S. commodities.
March 13, 2026 12:57 PM
·
Suderman joins Tony St. James in the RFD Studios to discuss how geopolitical tensions are triggering global transport disruptions, new inflation pressures, and other challenges for agriculture to navigate.
March 13, 2026 11:08 AM
·
Severe drought in South Texas is forcing ranchers to consider cattle sell-offs as feed and water supplies dwindle, threatening herd health and livestock operations.
March 12, 2026 05:09 PM
·
RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney shares insights from new Real Agri-Studies research surrounding the relationship between farmers and their lenders and what it reveals about the current farm economy.
March 12, 2026 04:15 PM
·
Dr. David Anderson with Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension discusses how geopolitical tensions and the Middle East, along with export disruptions in the Chinese market, will shape cattle markets in the months ahead.
March 12, 2026 12:54 PM
·
