The cattle market’s seen fluctuation with world conflicts shaping the marketplace. Aberdeen Livestock Auction Owner Kevin Larson says there’s a huge demand for cull cows right now and the cow packers are willing to pay the premium. “You can’t stop it. American Foods and JBS are in the market. I’d have called the sale five to ten dollars higher. The packers are definitely short. The way it looks, they need blood. Some of these heavier fleshed cows that weren’t quite white fat that used to be discounted are being sold at a premium.” On the other hand, replacement female demand is low. Larson estimates that there’s only half of the number of replacement heifers sold that are going back into the herd. “There’s some replacement heifers that are going back to the country, but I’d guess it’s half of what it was a year ago. The main problem is definitely feed. There are more people exiting than entering the business is what it looks like to me.” Larson says he doesn’t think the re-building of herds will happen in the northern tier for a few years due to explosive feed costs and lingering drought effects.
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