# Cattle market update: Screwworm, drought and strong beef prices

> USDA reported 15 New World screwworm animal cases in the US, with three now inactive, mostly in Texas. Around 55% of the country was in drought per the Drought Monitor for mid-June, and about 53% of cattle inventory is affected by drought.

- Date: 2026-07-01 · published 2026-07-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/18951-cattle-market-update-screwworm-drought-and-strong-beef-prices
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Tight domestic cattle supplies combined with drought-driven herd pressure support cattle and beef prices, while further screwworm spread could tighten supplies more.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2025-08-30 | [Screwworm outbreak cripples cattle trade, costs jobs and raises beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23284-screwworm-outbreak-cripples-cattle-trade-costs-jobs-and-raises-beef-prices.md) | -1.4% | -3.5% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-06-02 | [How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24157-how-flesh-eating-screwworms-in-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices-reuters.md) | +3.1% | +3.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-06-29 | [Dangerous Heat and Screwworm Cases Mean Cattle Prices Are Still Bullish. Hog Prices Need a Kick Higher.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18952-dangerous-heat-and-screwworm-cases-mean-cattle-prices-are-still-bullish-hog.md) | -4.5% | -11.9% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-05-20 | [Ranchers herd it all as fewer cattle pressure beef prices; screwworm lurks - Dallasfed.org](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19198-ranchers-herd-it-all-as-fewer-cattle-pressure-beef-prices-screwworm-lurks.md) | -1.7% | -1.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-06-04 | [US screwworm case puts ranchers on alert, rallies cattle prices By Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12084-us-screwworm-case-puts-ranchers-on-alert-rallies-cattle-prices-by-reuters.md) | +0.6% | -1.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-08-30 | [Screwworm outbreak cripples cattle trade, costs jobs and raises beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23284-screwworm-outbreak-cripples-cattle-trade-costs-jobs-and-raises-beef-prices.md) | -1.0% | -2.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-06-02 | [How flesh-eating screwworms in cattle could raise US beef prices \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24157-how-flesh-eating-screwworms-in-cattle-could-raise-us-beef-prices-reuters.md) | +3.8% | +4.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2026-06-29 | [Dangerous Heat and Screwworm Cases Mean Cattle Prices Are Still Bullish. Hog Prices Need a Kick Higher.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18952-dangerous-heat-and-screwworm-cases-mean-cattle-prices-are-still-bullish-hog.md) | -2.5% | -8.5% |

## Sources

- beefmagazine.com: https://www.beefmagazine.com/market-news/cattle-market-update-screwworm-drought-and-strong-beef-prices

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