# An economist says the loss of Mexican feeder cattle is hitting U.S. feedlots hard, tightening supplies and driving up beef prices

> A Texas A&M economist says the loss of Mexican feeder cattle imports, which averaged about 26,000 head a week in 2024, is hitting US feedlots and packing plants. Screwworm cases remain in Mexico, though none have been detected in the US.

- Date: 2026-06-01 · published 2026-06-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/19393-an-economist-says-the-loss-of-mexican-feeder-cattle-is-hitting-u-s-feedlots
- Commodities: [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Removing about 26,000 feeder cattle weekly from supply reduces feedlot placements and beef output, supporting higher feeder cattle and beef prices.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2025-09-24 | [Screwworm threat tightens US beef supply, lifts feeders - CME
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23007-screwworm-threat-tightens-us-beef-supply-lifts-feeders-cme-the-cattle-site.md) | -1.0% | +2.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2026-04-06 | [Feeder Cattle Rally Over $30 in Three Weeks in the Face of Tight Supplies](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10272-feeder-cattle-rally-over-30-in-three-weeks-in-the-face-of-tight-supplies.md) | +0.3% | -0.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2026-07-01 | [Cattle market update: Screwworm, drought and strong beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18951-cattle-market-update-screwworm-drought-and-strong-beef-prices.md) | -0.7% | -5.6% |
| FCATTLE | 2026-04-06 | [Why are cattle prices surging in the U.S. right now?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10267-why-are-cattle-prices-surging-in-the-u-s-right-now.md) | +0.3% | -0.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-06-21 | [OSU’s Derrell Peel: Placements Show Mexican Feeder Cattle Ban Hurting Southern Plains Feedlots - Oklahoma Farm Report](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24375-osu-s-derrell-peel-placements-show-mexican-feeder-cattle-ban-hurting-southern.md) | +1.8% | +8.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-09-24 | [Screwworm threat tightens US beef supply, lifts feeders - CME
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23007-screwworm-threat-tightens-us-beef-supply-lifts-feeders-cme-the-cattle-site.md) | -1.8% | +2.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-04-06 | [Feeder Cattle Rally Over $30 in Three Weeks in the Face of Tight Supplies](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10272-feeder-cattle-rally-over-30-in-three-weeks-in-the-face-of-tight-supplies.md) | +3.1% | +3.6% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-07-01 | [Cattle market update: Screwworm, drought and strong beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18951-cattle-market-update-screwworm-drought-and-strong-beef-prices.md) | -4.9% | -11.4% |

## Sources

- brownfieldagnews.com: https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/an-economist-says-the-loss-of-mexican-feeder-cattle-is-hitting-u-s-feedlots-hard-tightening-supplies-and-driving-up-beef-prices/

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