The cattle market saw a nice boost leading into Easter weekend, providing optimism for a continuing trend. April live cattle gained $2.85, while June live gained $2.60. Feeder cattle prices also saw nice growth, jumping $1.65 for April and $2.40 for May. Cattle trades were the big headliners, with Northern dressed selling on average around $225-226, which is upwards of $3 more than the week-prior average. Southern live cattle were up on average by $1.00, selling around $139.

Packers also saw a busy week, still processing 634,000, a large number taking into consideration the holiday week. A key event to watch for this week, Senate and House hearings are set for the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, in which packers are being asked to explain why producers are seeing thin margins while they are seeing record profits.

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