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This is your Daily Live Cattle Price Tracker with Vanessa Clark podcast.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Daily Live Cattle Price Tracker. I'm your host Vanessa Clark, and today we're diving into what's happening in the cattle markets right now as we kick off a significant week.
Let's start with today's numbers because they're pretty interesting. April live cattle futures closed at 233.25 cents per pound, up 2.35 cents. June live cattle also finished higher at 231.87 cents per pound, gaining 2.92 cents. So despite some earlier uncertainty, we're seeing some strength here to start the week.
Now, feeder cattle showed similar momentum. April feeder cattle jumped to 349.85 cents per pound, up 6.75 cents, while May feeders came in at 345.55 cents per pound, gaining 6.37 cents. That's meaningful movement in the feeder complex.
Here's what's driving things today. There's a union strike that just began at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado, and you might think that would crush prices, but the market actually moved higher. Why? Well, it's partly because some cattle industry analysts believe the tight cattle supplies we're seeing should ultimately support prices even with production disruptions. Plus, wholesale beef prices hit a six month high recently, which has been supporting the whole complex. Choice beef prices were up 83 cents and select prices gained 72 cents, bringing packer margins back into positive territory after months of losses.
The bigger picture here is that cattle inventories are down significantly compared to 2025. We've slaughtered roughly 600,000 fewer head so far this year. That supply tightness is what's really supporting values underneath all the noise.
That said, traders are keeping a close eye on broader economic factors. Energy prices have been climbing due to concerns overseas, and that's creating some nervousness in the market. Live cattle futures are holding just above technical support but trading below resistance levels, so we could see some volatility this week as everyone watches how the JBS situation develops.
For producers and anyone following cattle markets, the takeaway is that while headline news like this strike grabs attention, the underlying fundamentals of tight supply are what matter most. Keep watching those wholesale beef prices because they're your real indicator of where cash cattle could be heading.
That's what we're seeing in live cattle markets today. Thanks so much for tuning in to Daily Live Cattle Price Tracker. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss tomorrow's update. I'm Vanessa Clark, and I'll see you next time.
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