A livestock economist says cattle placements remain the figure to watch in this week’s Cattle on Feed report.
Pre-report estimates have cattle placed into feedyards for August down 9 percent from last year. Charley Martinez, an ag economist at the University of Tennessee, says, “We know right now would be historically when we would see Mexican cattle coming into the yards, especially Texas, where on any average year it’s about 18% of placements.”
And with those live cattle imports from Mexico still banned because of New World screwworm, he tells Brownfield, “What’s the total impact on the total number of heads that are out there?”
All cattle on-feed on September 1 are projected to be down 1 percent from last year, and cattle marketed in August are projected to drop nearly 13 percent.
Martinez says the October Cattle on Feed report will have some much-anticipated quarterly data. “Which will give us even more granular information from a location standpoint,” he says.
Next month’s report also includes the percentage of heifers that make up cattle on feed, which he says could provide some insight into any potential herd expansion.
The September Cattle on Feed report is out Friday at 3 Eastern/2 Central.
