U.S. livestock: Cattle fall sharply as Trump says he’s working to lower beef costs

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Cattle on a feedlot. PHOTO: FILE

Chicago cattle futures fell sharply on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration was working to lower the cost of beef.

“We are working on beef, and I think we have a deal on beef,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

“No specifics were released on any plan, though the market is taking a risk off approach,” wrote analyst Austin Schroeder.

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Most-active December live cattle closed at 241.825 cents per pound, down 6.050 cents a pound. February live cattle cattle were down 6.725 cents to settle at 242.825 cents a pound.

Most-traded November feeder cattle contracts closed at 371.700 cents a pound, down 9.250 cents a pound. January feeders settled at 369.300 cents a pound, down 9.250 cents.

Choice boxed beef closed at $366.77 per cwt, up $0.66. Select boxed beef was valued at $350.27 per cwt, up $1.34.

December lean hog futures fell by 0.225 cents to close at 82.375 cents a pound while February contracts settled at 84.775 cents a pound, down 0.325 cents.

The USDA reported pork carcass cutout value at $102.70 per cwt, up $0.53.

About the author

Geralyn Wichers

Geralyn Wichers

Digital editor, news and national affairs

Geralyn graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2019 and launched directly into agricultural journalism with the Manitoba Co-operator. Her enterprising, colourful reporting has earned awards such as the Dick Beamish award for current affairs feature writing and a Canadian Online Publishing Award, and in 2023 she represented Canada in the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists' Alltech Young Leaders Program. Geralyn is a co-host of the Armchair Anabaptist podcast, cat lover, and thrift store connoisseur.

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