The Cull Cow Market Struggles to Find Stability

Oct 02, 2026

July and August were not kind to the cattle market, but September did bring some reason for optimism. Two weeks ago, I wrote about signs of price stability and last week Josh wrote about a relatively bullish September cattle on feed report. But this week I want to focus on the cull cow market, which is not showing any real signs of improvement. As I write this on September 28^th, cull cow prices in Kentucky are down more than $30 per cwt from their summer highs. The same is largely true in the Southern Plains, although those highs were put in a bit earlier.

I think the largest factor behind the recent weakness in the cull cow market was the announcement of the plan to increase imports for ground beef production. Cull cow and bull markets are largely driven by trim values and ground beef demand, so it stands to reason that they would be the most impacted. Based on the US Customs’ Commodity Status Report for September 28^th, about 37,000 metric tons (MT) tons had been imported under the new tariff rate quota (TRQ) since the first of the month. This is well shy of the September maximum of 100,000 MT.

Source : osu.edu

Video: CEOs of the Industry, A Conversation with Daniel Rivest, President & CEO, Olymel

Swine Web’s CEOs of the Industry series welcomes Daniel Rivest, President & CEO of Olymel, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, the future of Canadian pork, and the opportunities ahead for one of North America’s largest pork and poultry processors.

Rivest discusses his journey to the CEO role, his leadership philosophy, and his early priorities at Olymel. The conversation explores the company’s strategic direction, its relationships with producers, and how Olymel is positioning itself for long-term growth and competitiveness.

The discussion also tackles some of the biggest issues facing Canadian pork production today, including labor availability, global competition, animal health, trade and export markets, automation, and the growing potential of artificial intelligence throughout the food production system.

Topics include:

• Daniel Rivest’s path to becoming President & CEO of Olymel

• Olymel’s current position and strategic direction

• The outlook for Canadian pork production

• Building stronger relationships with producers

• Global trade and key export markets

• Automation, innovation and artificial intelligence

• Leadership lessons and opportunities for the next generation

The conversation concludes with a Fast Five, giving viewers a more personal look at Rivest’s leadership approach and his vision for Olymel’s future.