Sort & Cull

My friends, we are likely to have one more week of lackadaisical trade throughout the cattle complex until the holiday festivities are well behind us and the market can again focus on what's in store for the live cattle and feeder cattle markets through 2026.

There's a chance that the market could see a bit more interest from packers this week, as last week's negotiated fed cash cattle trade only totaled 48,538 head. But, with this week's kill schedule set to be interrupted again by the New Year's Day holiday on Thursday, there's just as much of a chance that packers could hold off on really buying until next week when normal schedules resume.

It was interesting to note that last week, Southern live cattle traded at mostly $229, which is $2 higher than the previous week's weighted average. Northern dressed cattle traded at $356, which is $1 lower than the previous week's weighted average. If you remember the week before last, the market trend was just the opposite as Northern cattle traded higher while Southern cattle traded lower. It's most likely that packers were more aggressive last week in the South as they didn't quite have the supply around them that they needed.

Some folks are keen on thinking about New Year's resolutions around this time, and whether you are or you aren't, I read a quote that was rather convincing earlier this week. It said, "Your life is more apt to improve if you stop one bad habit than if you start a good one." In the next couple of days, I hope you think about that line and how it may apply not only to your life but also to your business. I'm personally optimistic about 2026 and what may lie ahead for those invested in the cattle sector, but there's always room for us to improve -- onward and forward, friends.

ShayLe Stewart can be reached at ShayLe.Stewart@dtn.com

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