DTN Ag Host Midday Livestock

The livestock contracts are trading lower into Thursday’s noon hour as traders simply aren’t confident with the current level of fundamental support to push the contracts any higher. Still no cash cattle trade has developed. May corn is down 2 cents per bushel and May soybean meal is down $2.20. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 96.95 points and NASDAQ is up 82.39 points.

Thursday’s export report shared beef net sales of 12,100 metric tons (mt) for 2026 were down 31% from the previous week, but up 12% from the prior four-week average. Increases were primarily for South Korea (4,900 MT, including decreases of 500 MT), Japan (2,400 MT, including decreases of 400 MT), Mexico (1,400 MT), Taiwan (1,300 MT, including 100 MT switched from Hong Kong and decreases of 200 MT), and Canada (400 MT). Pork exports of 13,400 MT were up 1 percent from the previous week, but down 2 percent from the prior 4-week average. The destinations were primarily to South Korea (4,200 MT), Japan (3,000 MT), Hong Kong (1,500 MT), Mexico (1,400 MT), and Taiwan (1,100 MT).