Cattle Prices Remain Positive

Jun 24, 2021

Cattle prices remain positive.

Brian Perillat is a senior analyst with Canfax.

"It's been pretty positive for the most part, cattle markets holding up pretty good. Usually into the springtime, sometimes we see a little bit of pressure on the fed cattle market, fat prices...but they've been holding fully steady. U.S. market is at some of the highest prices it's been at all year, which is not usual for June. Really good beef demand...fed market's holding up well. Feed lots making a little bit of money right now."

He commented on the drought situation.

"We had a bit of relief but some heat and not getting continuous rain. We've seen quite a few pairs come to town, even seen at auctions, a few places try to split some pairs off. There's not enough demand, which is a little bit early for that. If you've got grass or there's some buys out there, the market is a little bit tough that way. Also seeing yearlings come into market. Maybe guys trying to manage their grass, keep their grass for their cow heard and shipping some yearlings a little bit earlier than they normally do."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.