Lamb, Mutton Imports Due To Increase
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia says their lamb meat
exports during May were up 31.4 percent over a year ago at 13,843
metric tons. Their lamb exports to the U.S. were up 31.5 percent at
3934 mt., and year to date volume to the U.S. is up 19.9 percent at
17,655 mt. Total mutton exports in May were up 36.4 percent at
12,818 mt. with U.S. numbers up 148 percent at 1529 mt. Their year
to date mutton exports are up 12.4 percent at 61,948 mt.
Plains Fed Cattle Trade Quiet In The Face Of
Yet Lower Bids
Plains Feedlots and packers again were waiting each other out at
presstime, the latter bidding $80-81 and the former holding for $86.
Last week’s trade, late and lower as usual, came in at $84-84.50.
Texas Slaughter Goat Prices Off Several
Dollars This Week
Slaughter goat prices were under considerable pressure this week
with some quotations fully $10 lower. Lighter weights held up the
best, while weights over 60 pounds felt the full brunt of the fall.
NCBA Demands Answers To USDA’s Recent Retest
Of Cow For BSE
Representatives of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association met
with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns last week to express
the organization’s concerns about USDA’s recent changes in BSE
testing procedures.
TAHC Says Texas Still Battling
TB, Fever Ticks And Brucellosis
Dr. Bob Hillman, executive director of the Texas Animal Health
Commission, provided an update on brucellosis, bovine TB, fever
ticks and mandatory animal identification during the animal health
committee session of the recent Texas and Southwestern Cattle
Raisers Association summer meeting here.
Southwest Texas
Corn Producers Face Competitive Disadvantages
The results of a recent national
corn production cost survey by USDA’s Economic Research Service
indicate that the forecast of operating and ownership costs for
producing corn in the U.S. in 2005 will increase about two percent.
April Beef Exports Up 60%,
Imports up 11%
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service reports that the U.S. exported
34,724 metric tons of beef and veal cuts and beef variety meats in
April, up 59.5 percent from a year ago. The year to date volume is
up 150 percent at 132,528 mt. April pork cuts and pork variety meat
exports were up 23.5 percent at 102,292 mt, a new monthly record.
The year to date volume is up 15.1 percent at 355,448 mt.
Cattle Market More Affected Than Public By BSE
Question
It may be next week before the questionable case of bovine
spongiform encephalopathy is settled.
Private Property Rights
Lose Again; Cave Bug Case Denied
The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear a case involving Central
Texas cave bugs has eaten holes in property rights advocates'
arguments that endangered species protection is unjustly applied.
Nation’s Feeder Cattle Prices
Follow Futures, Meat Downward
Feeder steers and heifers sold $1-3 lower around the country with
stocker cattle and calves trading $2-4 lower and many major calf
markets toward the Southeast quoting calves under 500 pounds as much
as $10 lower.
Cattle On Feed Up One Percent Nationwide In
1000-Head Lots
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter June 1 in feedlots with a
capacity of 1000 or more head totaled 10.77 million head, up one
percent from last year and two percent above two years ago.
Superior Livestock Video Sale Offering Totals
147,000 Cattle
Superior Livestock Auction offered more than 147,000 feeder steer
and heifer calves, yearlings and bred stock in their annual Cornbelt
classic video sale.
Steer And Heifer Prices Weaker In Angelo
Special Sale Monday
Steers under 700 pounds and heifers under 600 pounds were weak,
heavier weights $1-3 lower Monday in the season’s second special
feeder cattle sale at Producers Livestock Auction.
Direct Sales Of Fed Cattle
Moved Lower Again Last Week
Direct fed cattle trade was not established by midday Friday in
Texas and limited trades were taking place at lower money in Kansas.
Northern feedlots sold cattle $2 lower live and $3 lower dressed.
U.S. Meat Production 2.3% Above A Year Ago
Total red meat production under federal inspection last week was
estimated at 890.9 million pounds, 1.2 percent more than a week
earlier and 2.3 percent more than a year ago. Cumulative meat
production for the year to date was down 1.1 percent at 20.42
billion pounds.
Angelo Lambs Firm, Cattle
Prices Steady
Feeder and slaughter lambs sold firm this week, slaughter ewes
steady, kids $10 lower and nannies steady. Two day receipts totaled
12,175 head, around 20 percent feeder lambs, 10 percent slaughter
ewes, five percent slaughter lambs and 65 percent goats.
Junction Sheep Steady, Kid Goat Prices Lower
Sheep classes sold steady, kid goats lower, nannies higher. Receipts
totaled 3196 head.
Mason, San Saba Steers Mixed, Heifers Steady
Feeder steer and heifer calves sold steady last week in Mason and
San Saba, steer yearlings steady to $2 lower, heifers steady,
slaughter cows and bulls steady, stock cows steady to strong.
Receipts totaled 1953 head at the two sales.
Buffalo Feeder Calves Steady, Heifers Firm
Feeder steer calves sold steady, yearlings $2 higher, feeder heifers
steady to firm, instances $2 lower, slaughter cows steady, bulls $1
lower. Receipts totaled 1422 head.
Hamilton Lambs, Kids Off, Nannies Steady
Lambs and kid goats sold lower, slaughter ewes and nannies steady.
Receipts totaled 2383 head.
Milano Feeder Steers Firm, Heifers Higher
Feeder steers sold steady to firm, heifers $1-2 higher, slaughter
cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 753 head.
Most Lampasas Feeder Cattle
Prices Steady
Feeder steers and heifers were mostly steady, weights under 350
pounds $2-4 higher, slaughter cows $1-150 lower, bulls $1-2 higher.
Producers Internet Offers 3000 Cattle
Producers Internet Auction offered 3000 feeder cattle in their
regularly scheduled sale. Delivery was July through November.
Abilene Feeder Steer, Heifer
Prices Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-4 higher, slaughter cows and bulls
$2-3 lower. Receipts totaled 1333 head.
Amarillo Feeder Steer, Heifer Prices
Higher
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher in a limited
test. Receipts totaled 1731 head.
Domestic Wool Slow, Aussie
Wools Lower
Domestic wool trading remained slow last week. Demand was light from
all interests, seller interest light to moderate.
Tulia Feeder Steers, Heifers Mostly Steady
Feeder steers and heifers were mostly steady, slaughter cows $2-3
higher. Receipts totaled 1945 head.
Brownwood Feeder Calf Prices Trend Higher
Feeder steer and heifer calves sold $2-4 higher, yearlings steady,
slaughter cows and bulls steady to $2 lower. Receipts totaled 314
head.
Llano Feeder Cattle Steady To Strong
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to strong, slaughter cows
steady to $2 higher. Receipts totaled 726 head.
Athens Feeder Cattle Lower,
Killers Steady
Feeder steers sold $4-5 lower, heifers $5-6 lower, slaughter cows
and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 1498 head.
Billings Feeder Lamb Trade
Back To Normal
Lamb buyers were not as aggressive as last sale and feeder lamb
prices returned to near normal rates with weights under 90 pounds
$20 lower, instances $30 lower, 90-100 pounds $5-10 lower, and over
100 pounds $2-6 lower; slaughter ewes were steady to weak. Receipts
totaled 3268 head.
Boxed Beef Values Off $2.79 To
Four-Week Low
The national comprehensive boxed beef cutout report on all fed
steers and heifers sold last week dropped $2.79 to a four-week low
and the lowest average since late December. The upper three grades
lost $4-5 while the lower two grades lost $2-3. Cut prices were
mostly around $3 lower except brisket and flank, only around 60
cents off. The Choice-Select price spread at $5.23 was $10 less than
six weeks ago.
Colorado City Feeder Cattle Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-3 lower, slaughter cows and bulls
steady, stock cows steady.
Cleburne Slaughter, Feeder Cattle Steady
Feeder steer and heifer calves and yearlings sold steady, slaughter
cows and bulls steady. Receipts totaled 464 head.
Most Comanche Feeder Cattle Prices Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold $2-4 lower, slaughter cows and bulls
steady. Receipts totaled 440 head.
Emory Steer Calves Lower, Others Higher
Feeder steer calves sold $3-4 lower, yearlings $2-4 higher, heifers
$2-3 higher, slaughter cows and bulls $2-4 lower. Receipts totaled
1546 head.
Fredericksburg Feeder Cattle Prices Strong
Feeder steers and heifers sold strong, slaughter cows and bulls
steady. Receipts totaled 1000 head.
Goldthwaite Lambs Steady, Goats
Lower
Slaughter lambs sold steady, stock and slaughter goats $3-5 lower.
Receipts totaled 2869 head.
Graham Feeder Steer, Heifer Trends Lower
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 lower, slaughter cows
and bulls $2-3 higher, stock cows $130 lower. Receipts totaled 1457
head.
Haskell Feeder Steer, Heifer Trade Steady
Feeder steers and heifers sold steady, slaughter cows and bulls $2-3
higher. Receipts totaled 387 head.
Coming Up...
June 25 — Ash Marketing and Cruce & Associates Farm and Livestock
Auction, Gould, Oklahoma.
June 25 — Speer Horse Company’s Special Sale, Talpa Horse Center,
Talpa, Texas.
June 25-26 — Texas Gun and Knife Show, Brownwood, Texas.
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