JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Cattle markets continue to navigate a lot of uncertainty.  Tony Hancock, market manager for the Missouri Department of Agriculture says sale barns across the country are back to setting records. “Fundamentally, we may not be at the top yet,” he says.  “We might see prices that even blow this away, although it’s hard to imagine at the prices we’ve seen recently.”

He tells Brownfield Ag News the border between the U.S. and Mexico remains closed because of the threat of New World screwworm.

The pest has not been detected in the U.S., but Hancock says if it is, the cattle industry is better prepared to fight it. “So, hopefully it wouldn’t impact our markets because the beef industry is in a good place right now,” he says.  “We want to keep that demand up and keep things profitable for our producers to encourage some retention and growth.”

He says the industry still hasn’t shown signs of wide-spread herd expansion.  When it does, it will further tighten supplies, but conditions will need to be right for that to happen. “If we could get some moisture, because that’s a big concern right now.”

The USDA will release its Cattle Inventory report on Friday, January 30, which provides the total number of all cattle and calves and provide expectations for cattle supplies, beef production, and prices for the coming year.