Cattle futures firm ahead of USDA feedlot data - CME
China signals hog output controls as prices slip
23 March 2026
1 minute read
By: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures firmed on Friday as traders anticipated the US Department of Agriculture's monthly Cattle on Feed report, released after the session closed, reported Reuters.
CME April feeders finished up 2.475 cents at 357.75 cents per pound. April live cattle settled up 0.775 cent at 234.05 cents per pound.
Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at StoneX said in a note both feeder and live cattle were seeing a rebound that wiped out Thursday's selloff as the trade anticipated low numbers of US cattle on feed and historically low marketings.
The USDA reported after the session ended that cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the US for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totalled 11.55 million head on March 1, slightly below March 1, 2025, which totalled 11.58 million head and above the trade estimate of 99.3% of 2025's total.
On Friday afternoon, the US Department of Agriculture reported choice cuts of boxed beef fell $0.19 to $400.11 per hundredweight (cwt), and select cuts rose $0.49 at $392.94 per cwt.
Beef packer margins rose to $109.75 per head on Friday, down from gains of $132.20 on Thursday, and $45.20 a week ago, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.
In hogs, China's state planner on Friday said authorities will make adjustments to hog reserves and continue to strengthen the management of hog production capacity, according to a statement released by the National Development and Reform Commission.
CME lean hog futures ended down 0.775 cents at 91.275 cents per pound.
