The USDA’s National Agriculture Statistical Service’s weekly reading of range and pasture conditions is one week away from its normal US seasonal conclusion, with pasture ratings quite variable by region, said the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s Livestock Monitor, a letter to Extension staff.
At the national level, 25% of pastures were rated good or excellent in the latest week compared with 20% a year ago, the LMIC said. At the other extreme, 22% of pastures were rated very poor versus 17% in mid-October a year ago.
LMIC analysis showed 23% of the beef cow herd was in states with 40% of the pastures rated good to excellent, unchanged from a year earlier. States where 40% of the pastures were rated poor or very poor accounted for 25% of the beef cow herd, down from 33% a year earlier.
Last year, the percentage of the beef cow herd in states with poor or very poor pastures jumped from 25% to 33% between Oct. 11 and 18. This has not been the case this year, the LMIC said.
GREAT PLAINS
The Great Plains region (CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, WY) defined by the LMIC analysis, accounted for 29% of the national beef cow herd, the highest percentage of any region. As of the week ending Oct. 17, 34% of these pastures were rated very poor. A year ago, only 22% of the pastures in this region were rated very poor, the LMIC said.
Pasture conditions in Montana were the most severe of any state in the country, with 65% rated very poor (moderating from 69% the prior week), the LMIC said. Within the same region, Nebraska had 13% of its pastures rated very poor in the latest week compared with 30% in the same week a year ago.
SOUTHERN PLAINS
The Southern Plains region (OK, TX), two states which account for 22% of the national beef cow herd, rated 34% of its pastures as good or excellent in the latest week, the LMIC said. This was up from 28% in the prior week and 24% a year earlier.
In the latest week, pastures classified as very poor stood at 9% of all pastures, only a slight change from a mid-October 2020 rating of 10% of pastures rated very poor, the LMIC said. Notable in this region was the condition of pastures this past spring when 14% were rated very poor, the worst spring rating since 2014 for the region.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $124.70 to $126.23 per cwt, compared with last week’s range of $123.44 to $125.75. FOB dressed steers and heifers went for $195.21 to $196.72 per cwt, versus $193.78 to $196.35.
The USDA choice cutout Thursday was up $1.26 per cwt at $284.89, while select was up $0.95 at $262.64. The choice/select spread widened to $22.25 from $21.94 with 98 loads of fabricated product and 32 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA reported Thursday that basis bids for corn from livestock feeding operations in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.20 to $1.32 a bushel over the Dec futures and for southwest Kansas were unchanged at $0.40 over Dec, which settled at $5.62 3/4 a bushel, up $0.05 1/2.
Thirteen heifer and two steer contracts were retendered Thursday for delivery against Oct. None were tendered at zero.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Wednesday was $154.96 per cwt down $1.07. This compares with Thursday’s Oct contract settlement of $156.67 per cwt, up $0.17 and the Nov settlement of $157.65, down $0.82.