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USDA REVIEWS FOREIGN LAND REPORTING
FARMERS STRUGGLE AMID TRADE TURMOIL
FARM RESCUE LENDS A HAND
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DAILY REPORTING
CHINA LOCKS LATIN SUPPLY
CATTLE FUTURES MIXED, FEEDERS HIGHER
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Last Week’s Responses— 12/23
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Monday, December 29
AUCTION SUMMARY
Indiana Weekly Auction Summary
Livestock Weighted Average Report for 12/21/2025 - 12/27/2025
Supply included: 12% Feeder Cattle (31% Steers, 49% Dairy Steers, 3% Heifers, 6% Bulls, 11% Dairy Heifers); 27% Slaughter Cattle (13% Steers, 20% Dairy Steers, 9% Heifers, 3% Cows, 0% Bulls, 13% Dairy Heifers, 42% Dairy Cows, 1% Dairy Bulls); 0% Replacement Cattle (100% Bred Heifers); 15% Replacement Dairy Cattle (85% Baby Bull Calves, 15% Baby Heifer Calves); 35% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (86% Wooled & Shorn, 13% Ewes, 1% Bucks); 10% Slaughter Goats (88% Kids, 4% Nannies/Does, 7% Bucks/Billies). Feeder cattle supply over 600 lbs was 20%.
| Current Week | Last Reported 12/15/2025 | Last Year | |
| Total Receipts: | 1,794 | 2,686 | 369 |
| Feeder Cattle: | 221 (12.3%) | 480 (17.9%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Slaughter Cattle: | 484 (27.0%) | 492 (18.3%) | 369 (100.0%) |
| Replacement Cattle: | 1 (0.1%) | 1 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Replacement Dairy Cattle: | 277 (15.4%) | 359 (13.4%) | 0 (0.0%) |
Nebraska Weekly Livestock Auction Summary
Livestock Weighted Average Report for 12/21/2025 - 12/27/2025
Not enough comparable offerings for an adequate weekly market comparison. Only one sale reporting through the Christmas Holiday week. Demand was good for the offering on hand. All were longtime weaned calves with full vaccination protocol and some had been poured for parasite control. Nebraska feedlots traded live sales 2.00 higher at 230.00 and dressed sales sold steady from 356.00 to 358.00. Wishing every reader a Happy New Year! Supply included: 100% Feeder Cattle (50% Steers, 50% Heifers). Feeder cattle supply over 600 lbs was 71%.
| Current Week | Last Reported 12/15/2025 | Last Year | |
| Total Receipts: | 1,578 | 26,942 | 0 |
| Feeder Cattle: | 1,578 (100.0%) | 21,428 (79.5%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Slaughter Cattle: | 0 (0.0%) | 984 (3.7%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Replacement Cattle: | 0 (0.0%) | 4,530 (16.8%) | 0 (0.0%) |
Kentucky Weekly Livestock Auction Summary
Livestock Weighted Average Report for 12/21/2025 - 12/27/2025
No comparisons available as markets were closed for the holidays. Supply included: 22% Feeder Cattle (38% Dairy Steers, 2% Heifers, 6% Bulls, 51% Dairy Heifers, 2% Beef/Dairy Steers); 78% Slaughter Cattle (0% Steers, 1% Dairy Steers, 1% Heifers, 84% Cows, 9% Bulls, 5% Dairy Heifers). Feeder cattle supply over 600 lbs was 89%.
| Current Week | Last Reported 12/15/2025 | Last Year | |
| Total Receipts: | 366 | 12,427 | 590 |
| Feeder Cattle: | 81 (22.1%) | 9,572 (77.0%) | 31 (5.3%) |
| Slaughter Cattle: | 285 (77.9%) | 1,869 (15.0%) | 316 (53.6%) |
| Replacement Cattle: | 0 (0.0%) | 986 (7.9%) | 243 (41.2%) |
CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE LIVESTOCK FUTURES SETTLEMENT
Monday
| Live Cattle | Change | Feeder Cattle | Change | ||
| Dec | 228.900 | 0.925 ▼ | Jan | 347.000 | 0.825 ▲ |
| Feb | 228.975 | 0.675 ▼ | Mar | 341.675 | 1.250 ▲ |
| Apr | 229.525 | 0.175 ▼ | Apr | 340.425 | 1.225 ▲ |
CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE GRAIN FUTURES SETTLEMENTS
Monday
| Corn | Change | Soy Beans | Change | ||
| Mar | 4.4225 | 0.0775 ▼ | Jan | 10.4950 | 0.0925 ▼ |
| May | 4.5075 | 0.0750 ▼ | Mar | 10.6350 | 0.0900 ▼ |
| Jul | 4.5700 | 0.0725 ▼ | May | 10.7525 | 0.0900 ▼ |
KANSAS CITY BOARD OF TRADE
Monday
| Wheat | Change | ||||
| Mar | 5.2725 | 0.0625 ▼ | |||
| May | 5.4025 | 0.0575 ▼ | |||
| Jul | 5.5350 | 0.0550 ▼ | |||
ESTIMATED DAILY CATTLE SLAUGHTER
| Monday | 118,000 | Friday |
| Week Ago (est) | 121,000 | Steer & Heifer: 88,000 |
| Year Ago (act) | 122,000 | Cow & Bull: 19,000 |
| Wk To Date (est) | 118,000 | Saturday |
| Last Week (est) | 121,000 | Steer & Heifer: 28,000 |
| Last Year (est) | 122,000 | Cow & Bull: 4,000 |
Monday, December 29
5 AREA WEEKLY ACCUMULATED WEIGHTED AVG CATTLE PRICE
| As of 10:00 am | Head Count | Avg Weight | Avg Price |
| Live Steer | 13,044 | 1,579 | 229.33 |
| Live Heifer | 6,134 | 1,371 | 229.42 |
| Dressed Steer | 5,744 | 1,024 | 356.53 |
| Dressed Heifer | 930 | 864 | 357.58 |
DAILY ESTIMATED CUTOUT VALUES
| 600-900# | Choice | Select | Choice/Select Spread |
| Current Cutout Values: | 349.33 | 345.62 | 3.71 |
| Change from prior day: | -1.88 ▼ | +1.82 ▲ |
DAILY CATTLE SLAUGHTER
| Monday | 118,000 | Friday |
| Week Ago (est) | 121,000 | Steer & Heifer: 88,000 |
| Year Ago (act) | 122,091 | Cow & Bull: 19,000 |
| Wk To Date (est) | 118,000 | Saturday |
| Last Week (est) | 121,000 | Steer & Heifer: 28,000 |
| Last Year (est) | 122,091 | Cow & Bull: 4,000 |
John Campbell is back on the podcast, this time calling in from Oklahoma with a full breakdown of how the cattle market has snapped back from the fall crash. He walks through runaway calf prices at Winter Livestock in La Junta, high-dollar bred cows and pairs, and how Dodge City and Pratt are lining up with the rebound. Then he takes his auction barn hat off and unloads on the beef checkoff: where the money actually goes, why cattle producers should be asking harder questions, and how much is being spent on fluff instead of real demand. The episode wraps with some Christmas prime rib talk, Traeger confessions, and a reminder that expensive beef better be cooked right.
Takeaways:
La Junta saw a huge rebound in calves, with 2–4 weights and 5-weights pushing back toward pre-crash highs.
Light calves in multiple weight classes are effectively back to where they were before the late October–early November wipeout.
Bigger feeder cattle (7–9 weights) have not fully recovered yet, but John is optimistic they’ll keep working higher as supplies stay tight.
Stock cows, bred heifers, and pairs saw very strong demand: young spring-calving cows commonly brought upper-$3,000s to low-$4,000s.
Older cows were still several hundred higher than earlier in the fall, driven by expectations of profitable first calf crops.
Standout young pairs with light fall calves hit over $5,000, some of the highest pairs John has ever sold.
Dodge City and Pratt echoed the same story: lightweight steers and heifers ripping higher, with some local all-time records on certain steer weights.
As grass guys re-enter the market after the first of the year, John expects 600–650 lb steers with the right kind and condition to get even higher.
John calls out the beef checkoff for weak consumer-facing promotion and for funneling a big chunk of producer dollars into NCBA and “sustainability” agendas.
His bottom line: the cow factory is still short, the light calf market has real legs under it, and producers deserve more out of every checkoff dollar.
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Monday, December 29
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PRECIPITATION FORECAST: DECEMBER 29-JANUARY 13
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