Feeder Cattle Futures Market Volatility And The CME Feeder Cattle Index Price

Sep 03, 2026

By Tim Petry

Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME) live cattle and feeder cattle futures market prices have been quite volatile this year. Futures markets try to anticipate what the cash market will be.

Feeder cattle cash and futures prices traded at record-high levels in the first half of 2026 due to lower cattle and beef supplies and relatively strong consumer beef demand. When futures prices are record-high, volatility is usually also high because many fundamental supply-and-demand factors can affect the market in the future.

Cattle and beef supply factors are well-documented. The July USDA Cattle Inventory report confirmed the eighth-straight year of drought-forced beef cow liquidation, causing smaller calf crops and declining beef production. The report is available at

https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/h702q636h.

Lower supplies have been supportive to prices.

Source : ndsu.edu

Video: Next Mile Ep 1: Navigating Disease Prevention

The Next Mile, host Dr. Meredith Petersen, Director of Swine Health at the National Pork Board, sits down with Dr. Cara Haden, Director of Animal Welfare and Biosecurity at Pipestone, to unpack the National Swine Health Strategy and what it means for producers across the country.

Meredith walks through how the strategy came together: a producer-led effort launched in March 2025 in response to input gathered at the National Pork Industry Forum, built around two core goals, keeping foreign and emerging diseases out of the U.S. herd and reducing the impact of domestic diseases already here, including long-term elimination targets for PRRSV and PEDV.

Cara then brings the conversation down to the farm level, sharing how Pipestone scores biosecurity across seven key areas: air, feed, water, people, supplies, trucks and pigs, plus everything within the farm perimeter. She and Meredith dig into why farm leadership and daily culture, not just protocols on paper, ultimately determine whether biosecurity efforts stick.

Whether you're a producer, veterinarian, or anyone invested in herd health, this episode offers a grounded look at where the industry is headed and what everyday habits make the biggest difference.