# Feeder cattle futures market volatility and the CME Feeder Cattle Index price | NDSU Agriculture

> NDSU's Tim Petry explains that CME live and feeder cattle futures have been volatile in 2026 after record-high prices in the first half. Drivers include drought-driven herd liquidation, record retail beef prices, Iran war energy effects, and Mexican border cattle import policy.

- Date: 2026-09-01 · published 2026-09-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: market · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/17613-feeder-cattle-futures-market-volatility-and-the-cme-feeder-cattle-index-price
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Elevated volatility reflects uncertainty over future beef supply and import policy, which widens risk for feeder buyers hedging cattle costs.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: neutral
- LCATTLE: neutral

## Sources

- ndsu.edu: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/feeder-cattle-futures-market-volatility-and-cme-feeder-cattle-index-price

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.