In November, slaughter was higher year-over-year. While the increase in total cattle slaughter can be attributed to the additional slaughter day in November 2021 relative to a year prior, the average pace of fed cattle slaughter was higher on a per-weekday basis, with Saturday slaughter averaging lower.

Beef exports continued on a record pace in the latest data for November. Total beef exports were up 8.1% in November and are up 18.5% year over year for the first 11 months of the year.

During December 2020, the price for 500- to 600-pound steers in South Dakota briefly averaged above $190 per hundredweight (cwt) for a couple of weeks, a level last observed in early 2016.

The December Cattle on Feed report showed November placements 103.6% of last year and marketings 105.3% of one year ago. November had one more business day than 2021.

Based on the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) federally inspected Livestock Slaughter report, the inferred (federally inspected production/federally inspected head slaughtered) carcass weight for September is 827.1 pounds, while the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) weekly actual and estimated federally inspected Livestock Slaughter reports showed that the inferred weight for October was 831.8 pounds, about 4.7 pounds heavier month-over-month.

As 2021 winds to a close, cattle markets seem to finally be able to move out from under the specter of the pandemic impacts that began 18 months ago.

Total commercial beef production in 2021 was raised to 27.832 billion pounds from last month on anticipated heavier carcass weights and higher cow slaughter.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) has called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to immediately suspend all imports of fresh beef from Brazil to the U.S.

In its October Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook report, the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) indicated that, “U.S. beef exports in August set a new record of 325 million pounds, an increase of 57 million pounds, or 21%, from a year ago.

October brought significant rain across most of Oklahoma after a very dry September. The rains came in the form of a significant fall severe weather season.