CLARA LIVE:   🔥 📈 Kansas Cattle Trade Explodes: Farmers & Ranchers and El Dorado Set Records as Cash Surges Past Futures 🐂🔥

Farmers & Ranchers Livestock in Salina, KS delivered what can arguably be called the greatest feeder cattle sale in Kansas history on Thursday, July 17. In a performance that stunned even the most seasoned market watchers, the barn recorded an astonishing 36 new barn records, 21 Kansas state records, and 6 national records—all in a single day.  Among the highlights was a standout pen of 35 head weighing 724 lbs that brought $378.00/cwt, setting a new barn record, a Kansas state high, and landing as the 5th highest 7-weight sale in U.S. history.

The scale of the sale’s impact is undeniable: 8 of the top 10 all-time 7-weight prices at the barn were set today, and all 10 have been logged within the last two weeks. For 8-weights, 9 of the top 10 all-time prices came from today’s sale, with the full top 10 set in the same two-week stretch.  With a clean sweep of new barn highs across 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-weight steers, Thursday's event wasn’t just historic for Salina—it’s now a high-water mark for the entire Kansas cattle trade.

El Dorado Livestock Market in El Dorado, KS delivered a powerhouse sale on Thursday, July 17, setting 16 new barn records across multiple weight groups, including all-time highs for 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, and 10-weight steers.  Among the standout 7-weights were 57 head at 711 lbs bringing $363.00/cwt, now the #3 all-time sale for that class at the barn. The 9-weight division was equally impressive, with 179 head at 919 lbs selling for $321.00, topping the barn’s historical charts.

Capping off the day, 55 head weighing 1,021 lbs brought $306.50/cwt, setting a new barn record for 10-weights and ranking as the second-highest 10-weight sale in Kansas history. It was a remarkable day that firmly stamped El Dorado Livestock’s name into the state’s summer surge of record-breaking feeder cattle markets.

On Thursday, feeder cattle futures slipped slightly, with the CME August contract closing at $325.00, down $0.575. Meanwhile, the 7-day RTI Feeder Index climbed to $325.06, up $2.54, just edging above the board. However, the real strength was in the cash market, where the National Average Steer Price surged to $332.38, up $3.40, continuing to outpace both futures and index values. This widening cash-to-futures spread reflects intense demand for high-quality feeders, with top sales at auctions across the Plains exceeding even these strong averages.

  • 🐄 CME Feeder Cattle (AUG):  $325.00  (-0.575) 
  • 📊 RTI Feeder Index (7-Day):  $325.06  (+2.54)  
  • 🏆 National Steer Price:  $332.38   (+3.40)

The largest feeder cattle sales on Thursday were led by Farmers & Ranchers in Salina, KS, which topped the list with 3,426 head. Bluegrass South in Stanford, KY followed with 1,893 head, while Enid Livestock in Enid, OK moved 1,864 head. Rounding out the top five were Paris Livestock in Paris, KY with 1,472 head, and El Dorado Livestock in El Dorado, KS, which sold 1,458 head.

🚨 Farmers & Ranchers 7-Weight Surge: Historic Run of Record-Breaking Sales in Salina 🔥

Farmers & Ranchers in Salina, KS has firmly cemented its place in the record books with a stunning run of 7-weight steer sales. The barn's top 10 all-time highest prices for 7-weights were all set within the past two weeks, with eight of them posted during the July 17 sale alone. Leading the pack was a standout draft of 35 head at 724 lbs bringing $378.00/cwt, now not only a barn and state record, but also the 5th highest 7-weight sale ever recorded nationally. This concentrated burst of high-dollar sales is unmatched in the barn's history and signals red-hot demand for top-end feeder cattle in the Central Plains. 


Rob Cook, NationalBeefWire.com