US: Cattle Market Review Week 46, November 18, 2024

The EXPORT sales report showed beef exports totaled 14,153 tonnes, rebounding from the low seen last week of the calendar year. Japan was the largest buyer , buying 4,300 tonnes, while South Korea bought 2,500 tonnes. Shipments totaled 15,845 tonnes, a three-week high.  

USDA wholesale block beef prices were lower in Friday’s report. Choice beef fell 46 cents to $303.34, and Select beef sold 52 cents lower at $276.14. The Chc/Sel spread widened to $27.20. USDA estimated federally inspected cattle slaughter this week was 606,000 HEAD, down 13,000 head from the previous week and 33,367 head from the same week last year.

Beef processors' margins fell further, with losses of $72.90 per head on Friday, compared with losses of $52.10 per head on Thursday and losses of $51.95 per head last week, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.

WEEKLY COST OF CUT OUT CAT.CHOICE

CATTLE SALES

Sale of cattle, heads

Average weight

Week 45

Week 46

Growth per week,%

Week 45

Week 46

Growth per week,%

Bulls (live weight)

2 776

20 843

650.8%

1,557

1,547

-0.6%

Heifers (live weight)

1,588

8 589

440.9%

1,400

1 348

-3.7%

Bulls (slaughter weight)

5 099

7 617

49.4%

994

982

-1.2%

Heifers (slaughter weight)

1 094

1 080

-1.3%

860

865

0.6%

WEEKLY WEIGHTED AVERAGE BULL PRICE

BEEF PRODUCTION                                                                     

Indicator

Week 46

Previous week

A year ago

Growth per week,%

Growth per year, %

Volume of cattle slaughter

606,000

619,000

639,000

-2.1%

-5.2%

Live weight

1,425

1 423

1 388

0.1%

2.7%

Slaughter weight

869

868

839

0.1%

3.6%

Beef Production (million pounds)

525.6

536.4

535.4

-2.0%

-1.8%

CME: Live Cattle Futures

Week 45

Week 46

Growth per week,%

December

183.70

182.95

-0.4%

February

185.30

185.25

0.0%

April

186.53

187.40

0.5%

CME: Feeder Cattle Futures

November

245.43

251.10

2.3%

January

241.43

247.23

2.4%

March

239.38

245.65

2.6%

You can learn more about the state of the cattle market in the usa (cattle prices, cost of beef by category, production dynamics) in the weekly reviews of the MEAT market in RUSSIA and in the world from Meatinfo.ru. Weekly reviews are available as part of a subscription.