The USDA Has released the latest Cattle on Feed Report and USDA Livestock Analyst Michael McConnell provides insights into beef supplies as we get closer to grilling season.
McConnell said, “Overall our feedlot inventories remain about on par with where they were a year ago. Placements were actually up year over year during February, which that’s the first time that’s happened since March of 2025. Relatively speaking from a broader perspective, placements are still relatively low by historical standard. It continues the trend of still relatively tight inventories of cattle outside feedlots. During the month of February, 1.61 million head of cattle were placed in those feedlots, which was 4% higher than a year ago. And 1.52 million cattle were marketed from those feedlots, which is 7% lower than a year ago. One of the responses from the market has been to slow down the pace of steer and heifer slaughter. The number of cattle marketed from feedlots, particularly in the early part of the year, which is typically a seasonally lower period of demand for beef.”
“Due to the fact that our marketings have been down and placements have been lower, one of the implications I have is that more of the cattle that are in feedlots now are tilted more towards animals that have been on feed for more than 150 days. So a lot more animals that are market ready in those feedlots right now. So as we come up to that seasonal period where beef comes in higher demand, there will be a fair number of cattle in those feedlots that are ready to come out and be marketed and processed in the beef to satisfy the grilling season demand,” said McConnell.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.