Cattle Futures Slide as Tyson Plant Closure and Rising Corn Costs Add Pressure

USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres

Cattle prices took a hit for the week ending Aug 10, as tighter fed cattle supplies kept the market on edge, with a few near-term factors adding to the pressure on futures. The USDA’s August 12 WASDE report cut 2025/2026 corn ending stocks, pushing December corn futures higher and squeezing feeder cattle economics. News of a Tyson plant closure added further pressure, even as Choice boxed beef cutout values climbed $12 per hundredweight last week on seasonal Labor Day demand.

Texas A&M extension economist David Anderson commented, “Tyson’s announcement of plant closings was important in that when the plant closes it is one less buyer in the market.”

With the August 21 Cattle on Feed report on the horizon and July placements expected to run below last year’s pace despite continued tight supplies, feedlots and cow-calf producers alike are watching closely for where the market turns. Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) can help producers manage that uncertainty against volatility, and the best place to start is a conversation with a local ProAg agent.