cattle prices

At Washington's sale barn last week, feeder cattle stayed firm despite lighter trading. Slaughter cows and bulls both saw prices slip, but the market kept moving through more than a thousand head.

Fewer cattle going to slaughter this year means tighter beef supplies ahead — and the USDA is now forecasting steer prices above $251 for 2026.

As beef prices soar, the cattle industry faces a tough reality check. Bill Bullard talks about the unexpected twists in this ongoing saga.

The latest forecast from USDA shows a slight increase in beef production this year and next. The Department says the increase this year is up to 190 million pounds, while 2026’s number increased to 340 million pounds.

The question is how much higher can cattle prices go before the herd expansion gets rolling? One industry expert says cattle prices aren’t done climbing.

Cattle has been in a bull market for quite a while.  But how long can the rally last?   “You talk to some of the cow-calf folks, and yes, those feeders are worth a lot of money," said USDA chief economist Seth Meyer.  "But the decision is, do I take the cash now, or do I retain that heifer and hope that I'll make that money two years from now on, on a fed out animal? And so I talked to .

According to the USDA’s April Cattle on Feed report, the national cattle herd remains smaller year-over-year, despite efforts to increase inventory.  What do the marketing trends in the industry look like?   USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer says when it comes to the number of cattle on feed over 150 days, which he pointed out is typically an indicator of how fast cattle are being marketed, t

Listen to the national news, and you’ll hear discussions about how inflation is not what it was last year or even a few months ago.  And while that may have a direct impact on many sectors of the U.S. economy, unfortunately agriculture is not one of them.  Cameron Mulro...

The message at last month’s 99th annual Washington Cattlemen’s Association meeting in Wenatchee was a positive one, for both producers and the non-ag community alike.  Chelsea Hajny, Executive Vice President of the WCA, said now is a good time to be in the cow business.   ‘We don't al...

USDA’s January 1 cattle inventory report places the total number of cattle and calves at 89.3 million head, consistent with trade expectations for a 3% year-over-year drop.  The decline comes as cattle producers face a fourth consecutive year of contraction within the cattle cycle.  That’s a...