By Andi Anderson
The USDA’s newest Cattle on Feed report highlights a sharp slowdown in both placements and marketings as the cattle industry faces tighter supplies and changing regional dynamics. As of September 1, feedlots with 1,000 or more head reported 11.1 million cattle on feed, down just 1.1 percent from last year.
However, placements into feedlots during August fell to 1.78 million head, a 9.9 percent decline from August 2024 and the lowest August total since 2015. All weight classes saw lower numbers.
Marketings were even weaker: 1.57 million head of fed cattle were marketed in August, 13.6 percent below year-ago levels.
This marks the lowest August marketing level since records began in 1996 and, excluding the early pandemic months, the lowest for any month since 2015. Fewer slaughter days contributed to the decline but do not fully explain the sharp drop.
Regional shifts are notable. The top three cattle feeding states—Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas—normally account for about 65 percent of total cattle on feed. Nebraska’s cattle on feed rose 4.7 percent, and Kansas was up 3.1 percent, despite lower placements.
Texas, by contrast, was 9.1 percent below September 2024 due to an 18 percent decline in placements, partly linked to the southern border closure for feeder cattle imports caused by New World Screwworm concerns.
Texas still leads in total cattle on feed, but its margin is shrinking. On September 1, Texas had only 70,000 head more than Nebraska and 150,000 more than Kansas, compared with differences of 430,000 and 470,000 a year earlier. The Texas–Kansas gap is now the closest since 1992.
Overall, the report shows a tightening national supply and a northward shift in feedlot activity. With placements and marketings slowing sharply, the cattle and beef sector faces tighter supplies and potential price impacts heading into late 2025.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: Ohio, General