USDA reported 115,000 head of cattle slaughtered on Thursday, up from 112,000 the previous week but down from 122,678 a year ago. Week-to-date (WTD) slaughter stands at 464,000, compared to 472,000 last week and 479,228 during the same week in 2024. Year-to-date (YTD) cattle slaughter totals 15,515,803, down 6.4% from 16,576,572 at this point in 2024.
US Cattle Report by National Beef Wire
Headlines Move Markets? (THE BEEF)... The other news is easier to quantify but more difficult to predict and that is the Trump Administration’s announcement late yesterday afternoon of a tariff on Brazil starting August 1 of 50%. No one can guess how the politics of this will turn out. If it does go into effect, tariffs on frozen beef 90s will increase from the current 10%, which has been quickly and efficiently absorbed by the market to 50%, so another 40% penalty
CLARA: Cattle Barometer
NBW FEATURE: Record-Breaking Sale at Bassett Livestock Auction... On Wednesday, July 26th, Bassett Livestock Auction in Nebraska held a Special Fall Calves and Yearlings Auction that lived up to its reputation as a hub for top-quality cattle
US Cattle Report by National Beef Wire
CLARA LIVE: Flint Hills Stockyards (Saint Marys, KS) had an outstanding Tuesday, setting new all-time highs for both 9- and 10-weight steers. Leading the charge were 60 head at 916 lbs selling for $318.85 and 110 head at 1,046 lbs bringing $291.25. The barn didn’t stop there — Tuesday’s run also accounted for five of the top 10 highest 9-weight prices ever recorded at Flint Hills, marking one of the most impressive heavyweight sales in its history.
CLARA LIVE
U.S. pasture conditions were rated 45% good to excellent as of this week, up 2 points from the previous week and slightly above 44% at the same time last year. Regional ratings included Missouri at 88%, Oklahoma at 70%, Colorado at 65%, Kansas at 63%, Texas at 60%, Nebraska at 30%, Wyoming at 27%, and Montana at 9%
US Cattle Report by National Beef Wire
CLARA LIVE: 🎉 Eight weights are on fire today at Joplin (Carthage, MO), with early Monday sales setting records. 125 head at 875 lbs sold for $321.50, marking a new all-time high at the barn. 30 head at 835 lbs brought $316.00, the 5th highest ever recorded, and 55 head at 883 lbs sold for $315.00, ranking as the 7th highest eight-weight sale in Joplin history.
CLARA LIVE
CLARA LIVE: Coffeyville Stockyards (North Town) in Coffeyville, KS, holds three of the top ten all-time 7-weight steer prices in Kansas, including the two highest ever recorded. On June 18, 2025, the barn sold 28 head at 703 lbs for $360.00/cwt and 23 head at 727 lbs for $358.00/cwt, setting new state records for the weight class
CLARA LIVE
LIVESTOCK COMMENTS: In reality, live cattle futures do not represent the price of finished cattle in today’s market, but it does act as a proxy for directional price movement. This trend is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
US Cattle Report by National Beef Wire
September corn futures closed Thursday at $4.2025, up 2.25 cents on the day and up 14.25 cents over the past two sessions. The contract had settled at $4.29 on June 18, but then fell in seven of the next eight sessions, bottoming at $4.06. After that sharp decline, corn has bounced the last two trading days — up 12 cents on Wednesday and 2.25 cents on Thursday (corn futures)
CLARA (Cattle Livestock Analytics and Reporting AI)
Cattle trade on Thursday remained limited, with only a few reported purchases in Kansas at $225.00—insufficient to establish a market trend. The most recent established trade in Kansas and the Texas Panhandle occurred Wednesday at $224.00. In Nebraska, Wednesday's market saw live sales ranging from $230.00 to $232.00 (#cattletrade)
US Cattle Report by National Beef Wire
BOXED BEEF: The plate was quoted at $311.87 on Tuesday, up from $303.91 on Monday—marking the highest value ever recorded for the primal, surpassing even the COVID-era highs of 2020. Monday and Tuesday represent the only two times in history that the plate has exceeded $300. The plate primal includes cuts such as short ribs, skirt steak, hanger steak, and navel
US Cattle Report by National Beef Wire