# COVID-19 Cattle Producer Impacts - An Update | UC Livestock Economics

> A UC Davis update reviews COVID-19 effects on US cattle producers. Beef packing volumes fell about 40% in late April to early May, but plants are now running above 90% capacity. Feeder cattle prices fell 24% from mid-February to early April, and retail beef prices remain well above last year.

- Date: 2020-08-26 · published 2020-08-26T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/51576-covid-19-cattle-producer-impacts-an-update-uc-livestock-economics
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Processing capacity has recovered, which eases the packer bottleneck that pressured cattle prices. Elevated retail beef prices and lingering disruption still shape demand for feeder and fed cattle.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: neutral
- LCATTLE: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2021-07-19 | [Russia and Thailand issue temporary bans on imports of live cattle, buffalo and their products \| The National Tribune](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46015-russia-and-thailand-issue-temporary-bans-on-imports-of-live-cattle-buffalo-and.md) | +0.8% | +1.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-03-25 | [US, Mexico reach deal to continue cattle imports \| Latest Market News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31160-us-mexico-reach-deal-to-continue-cattle-imports-latest-market-news.md) | -1.8% | -2.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-12-19 | [USDA allocates $165M to protect livestock from New World screwworm \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26913-usda-allocates-165m-to-protect-livestock-from-new-world-screwworm-agriculture.md) | +0.5% | +3.6% |
| LCATTLE | 2021-02-04 | [CME update: cattle futures slip despite solid domestic demand
						 \| The Beef Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/48769-cme-update-cattle-futures-slip-despite-solid-domestic-demand-the-beef-site.md) | +0.8% | +2.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-06-04 | [UADA economist: Screwworm news will rattle local Texas, New Mexico cattle markets, but consumer prices to remain unchanged](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18764-uada-economist-screwworm-news-will-rattle-local-texas-new-mexico-cattle-markets.md) | +0.6% | -1.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-03-25 | [US, Mexico reach deal to continue cattle imports \| Latest Market News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31160-us-mexico-reach-deal-to-continue-cattle-imports-latest-market-news.md) | -3.8% | -2.8% |
| FCATTLE | 2020-11-20 | [Mexican Drug War Affects U.S. Cattle Program - Dairy Herd](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50121-mexican-drug-war-affects-u-s-cattle-program-dairy-herd.md) | +2.2% | +2.7% |
| FCATTLE | 2021-02-04 | [CME update: cattle futures slip despite solid domestic demand
						 \| The Beef Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/48769-cme-update-cattle-futures-slip-despite-solid-domestic-demand-the-beef-site.md) | +0.7% | -2.5% |

## Sources

- livestockecon.ucdavis.edu: https://livestockecon.ucdavis.edu/blog/covid-19-cattle-producer-impacts-update

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