U.S. cattle producers have started rebuilding the nation's herd or are close to doing so, Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King said on Wednesday, after supplies dwindled to a 74-year low.
For the week ending May 10, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $5 higher on average. Quality packages of lighter calves were priced $10-$15 above week ago levels. Many auction barns are only holding sales every two or three weeks at this time of year with limited numbers on offer. This made the market hard to define in certain weight categories.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday said she is suspending imports of live cattle, horses and bison through the southern U.S. border over the damaging pest New World screwworm, a measure that immediately drew opposition from Mexico.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder cattle futures crept higher on Tuesday as strong wholesale beef prices and a tight cattle supply compelled meatpackers to pay up for each head of cattle, lending support to the cash market and cattle futures, analysts said.
For the week ending May 2, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged compared to seven days earlier. The heifer discount to steers continues to narrow. Steady buying interest from Ontario was noted in Manitoba and certain locations in Saskatchewan.