The Explosive Market for 7 Weights – A Tale of Record-Setting Demand (CLARA)
While 2024 had 52 total sales exceeding $300, January 2025 alone has already seen a staggering 413 sales, including 64 sales in just Monday and Tuesday of this week...
The market for 7-weight steers has undergone a remarkable transformation, with 2025 shaping up to be a record-breaking year for this category. In 2024, there were 52 steer sales (10 head minimum) that reached the $300 mark. The first sale to hit this benchmark occurred on March 18th, when 75 steers (700#) from Aberdeen, SD, sold for $300.00, followed later that same day by 68 steers (700#) from Kingdom, MO, at $302.00. The highest price for a 7-weight steer in 2024 was $329.00 for 11 steers (756#) from Worthing, SD, setting the all-time record.
The monthly breakdown in 2024 tells an interesting story: 6 sales each in March and April, 7 in May, 10 in June, and 7 in July. However, activity slowed significantly from August through November, with just 3 sales total during that time. December brought a surge with 14 sales, rounding out the year. South Dakota led the state breakdown with 25 sales, followed by 20 in Nebraska and 4 in Missouri, with Bassett Livestock hosting an impressive 17 sales alone. Other states like Colorado and Kansas saw 1 sale each surpass the $300 threshold.
2025: A Year for the Record Books
Comparing 2024 to 2025, the market has experienced an unprecedented surge in demand. While 2024 had 52 total sales exceeding $300, January 2025 alone has already seen a staggering 413 sales, including 64 sales in just Monday and Tuesday of this week. This explosive start to the year highlights the growing demand for 7 weights and the willingness of buyers to pay premium prices.
The all-time high of $329.00, set in 2024, still holds, but January 2025 has come close. On January 3rd, 80 steers (710#) from Ft. Pierre, SD, sold for $325.50, securing the second-highest price ever recorded. Kansas, which saw only 1 sale exceed $300 in all of 2024, has already recorded 25 sales above that mark in January alone. Similarly, Nebraska has surged from 20 sales in 2024 to 86 so far in January, while South Dakota has jumped from 25 sales in 2024 to an incredible 181 sales in January 2025.
A Market on Fire
The current market for 7 weights is undeniably setting new standards. With $300-plus sales surging to new heights, the premium prices reflect both the exceptional demand and the tight supply dynamics that have defined the early weeks of 2025. As receipts continue to climb and buyers remain aggressive, the market for 7 weights is poised to rewrite the record books throughout the year. Whether the all-time high of $329.00 will fall remains to be seen, but with January 2025 already delivering historic results, the cattle market is off to a truly unprecedented start.