University of Tennessee Extension Specialist Charley Martinez says the suspension of Mexican beef imports due to the detection of New World screwworm is expected to impact feeder cattle prices significantly. With 5% of the feeder calf supply coming from Mexico, the sudden halt tightens supplies in an already constrained market.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the temporary ban, affecting border states including Arizona and Texas. Feedlot operators are unable to source cattle from Mexico. They will turn to sale barns, increasing short-term demand and driving prices higher.

Martinez emphasizes the potential ripple effects in the livestock industry.

Read more on the impact of the suspension of cattle imported from Mexico here.