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exican feeder cattle imports are barely trickling across the border, with just 400 head crossing at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, a port that once handled roughly 40 percent of the flow. A new screwworm detection in Brewster County, Texas, makes a quick reopening even less likely and keeps feeder supplies tight.
Brock and Jim break down this week's feeder cattle market, where 500-549 pound steers are at $402.17 per hundredweight, up $1.20 on the week and $19.52 from a month ago. Heavier 600-649 pound steers slipped $2.69 to $358.94. The model points to a small near-term pullback, then firmer prices into November. They also explain why producers shouldn't count on import relief when pricing calves and replacement stockers.
The episode also covers volatile CME cattle futures, which rallied to a three-month high after USDA raised its 2026 corn harvest outlook, then dropped on profit-taking before moving higher again. Brock and Jim discuss why setting hedging targets and risk triggers ahead of time beats reacting to headlines.
Finally, they review USDA's October WASDE, which lowers 2027 beef production, raises beef imports, and leaves cattle prices unchanged. They also look at why carcass quality and marbling matter as imports grow, and how finish weight decisions affect returns.
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