USDA boxed beef daily negotiated sales report

• Choice boxed beef climbed $16.98, ending at $347.80
• Select boxed beef climbed $11.37, ending at 332.25
• The last time boxed beef prices were close to this level (2014, and please note they were actually only at $300/cw, so we’ve surpassed them by almost $50.00), but that year fat cattle were selling for as high as $168.50.
• Fat cattle today were traded close to half of that value.

Coteau Cattlemen step up

Beef Bucks: Cattlemen step up to the plate

• The Coteau Cattlemen of Watertown, SD and surrounding area, have been trying to find a way to help surrounding communities during this pandemic.
• With the donation from Hamlin Co. Livestock Improvement Assoc. and Pheasants Forever, Dry Lake, SD Chapter #485, the cattlemen’s group were able to purchase beef bucks to be given away to consumer to purchase beef.
• These $5 beef bucks were given away on local radio stations by calling in to the stations.
• Smaller increment beef bucks will hopefully help more people purchase beef during these trying times. Also a win-win for consumer and beef producer
• The Coteau Cattlemen are finalizing plans to distribute more beef bucks with various food giveaways in the coming weeks and months to help those in need.

NCBA.org; A phone call to the White House

• NCBA’s CEO, Colin Woodall and NCBA’s President, Marty Smith, participated in a phone call today with President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue.
• The White House is focused on keeping packing plants functioning, beef on the shelves, and beef available for export.
• Meat Supply- Both Colin and Marty feel that the executive order put in place by President Trump will go a long way to make sure we don’t have a nationwide shortage of beef
• The President remains focused on how this pandemic is affecting farmers and ranchers, and what we need to do to move through this tough situation.
• Worker safety is a top priority for the White House.
• “The focus of the White House is safety, but also to get this thing back to normal,” said Woodall in regards to processing plant issues. He is hoping to see some turn arounds within the processing sector in the next couple weeks.
• “We are the only group representing cattle producers that were part of the call with the president this morning and we have been in contact almost daily with the White House and all the various federal agencies that continue to engage with Congress. So the NCBA team has been at work every single day since this pandemic started and we continue to make sure that the steady voice of NCBA is there to influence ALL those decisions that are being made,” said Woodall.