# Cattle prices expected to remain high in 2025 and 2026 - High Plains Journal

> Oklahoma extension specialist Derrell Peel expects cattle prices to stay high for at least the next two years, with records set for every cattle class this year. Cattle slaughter fell 3.1% in 2024 and cow slaughter dropped 15.4% amid low inventory, and a slight early-February dip was attributed to macro and political uncertainty.

- Date: 2025-02-28 · published 2025-02-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/26182-cattle-prices-expected-to-remain-high-in-2025-and-2026-high-plains-journal
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Low cattle inventory and reduced cow slaughter support sustained high cattle prices, with feeder demand and feed grain consumption staying firm.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2022-01-24 | [Optimism, higher cattle prices to start 2022](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43088-optimism-higher-cattle-prices-to-start-2022.md) | +0.6% | +3.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-09-27 | [A lot at steak: US beef and cattle prices soar to record highs \| Beef \| The Guardian](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23000-a-lot-at-steak-us-beef-and-cattle-prices-soar-to-record-highs-beef-the-guardian.md) | -1.2% | +0.9% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-08-14 | [Numbers tell two stories about ag profitability - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17898-numbers-tell-two-stories-about-ag-profitability-high-plains-journal.md) | -2.1% | -5.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-12-01 | [Cattle Economics: Cattle Prices and Rockets \| UT Beef & Forage Center](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38361-cattle-economics-cattle-prices-and-rockets-ut-beef-and-forage-center.md) | -0.3% | +1.5% |
| LCATTLE | 2023-04-30 | [Higher Cattle Prices Good, But Wide Profit Margins Are Better - Morning Ag Clips](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6725-higher-cattle-prices-good-but-wide-profit-margins-are-better-morning-ag-clips.md) | -4.2% | -3.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-01-24 | [Optimism, higher cattle prices to start 2022](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43088-optimism-higher-cattle-prices-to-start-2022.md) | -0.4% | +3.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-09-27 | [A lot at steak: US beef and cattle prices soar to record highs \| Beef \| The Guardian](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23000-a-lot-at-steak-us-beef-and-cattle-prices-soar-to-record-highs-beef-the-guardian.md) | +0.0% | -0.8% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-12-01 | [Cattle Economics: Cattle Prices and Rockets \| UT Beef & Forage Center](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38361-cattle-economics-cattle-prices-and-rockets-ut-beef-and-forage-center.md) | +0.2% | +1.8% |

## Sources

- hpj.com: https://hpj.com/2025/02/28/cattle-prices-expected-to-remain-high-in-2025-and-2026/

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