Live cattle futures fell between $1.60 and $2.80 at midday on Thursday, April 17, reflecting a downward trend in the market. Three deliveries for April live cattle were reported in Dodge City, while cash trade activity remained limited this week with a few sales at $248 in the South. Last week’s prices ranged from $246 to $249 in the South and $249 to $250 in the North. The Fed Cattle Exchange online auction on Thursday morning did not result in any sales for the 1,222 head offered, with bids coming in at $246 to $248.
This decline is significant for producers and traders who closely monitor cattle markets for price signals that affect business decisions throughout northwest Ohio and beyond. Feeder cattle futures also showed losses between $1.12 and $3.90 during Thursday’s session. The CME Feeder Cattle Index rose by $3.63 to reach $379.09 as of April 15.
Export sales data revealed that beef exports totaled 12,054 metric tons for the week of April 9, marking a decrease of nearly 31 percent compared to both last week and the same period last year, according to available figures. However, shipments increased from the previous week to reach 13,427 metric tons.
Wholesale boxed beef prices were mixed; Choice boxes dropped by 56 cents to close at $382.54 while Select boxes decreased by 46 cents to finish at $379.04 on Thursday morning’s report, keeping the Choice/Select spread steady at around $3.50 per hundredweight.
The United States Department of Agriculture estimated federally inspected cattle slaughter reached 109,000 head on Wednesday—raising this week’s total so far to 325,000 head—which is up by about five thousand from last week but down over twenty thousand compared with this time last year.
April live cattle contracts settled at $251 per hundredweight (down by $1.60), June contracts ended at $248.275 (down by $2.80), August closed at $243.475 (down by $2.65). In feeder cattle: April finished at $372.375 (down by about one dollar), May closed just above three sixty-seven (down nearly four dollars), and August ended near three sixty-nine (off roughly three-and-a-half dollars).
Legacy Farmers Cooperative supports community initiatives including youth agricultural education programs such as 4-H and FFA as well as scholarships according to its official website. The cooperative maintains facilities like grain centers and fuel stations throughout northwest Ohio according to its official website.
Structured as a member-owned organization according to its official website, Legacy Farmers Cooperative employs more than one hundred fifty people across multiple divisions according to its official website. It serves agricultural producers across ten counties according to its official website with services including grain marketing and petroleum distribution out of Findlay.
The cooperative aims “to exceed customer expectations by offering top value and financial returns” while supporting local farming needs through various services across northwest Ohio counties according to its official website.
