# Cattle producers face price declines amid coronavirus pandemic

> Fed cattle prices have fallen about 7% over two months amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the five-area average live steer price dropping from $124/cwt in January to about $112 in March. LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry said this decline comes at a time when prices normally seasonally rise into spring. Uncertainty over domestic and international beef demand is cited as a key factor.

- Date: 2020-03-25 · published 2020-03-25T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/7962-cattle-producers-face-price-declines-amid-coronavirus-pandemic
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Weaker fed cattle prices reduce feeder and calf values and signal softer beef demand, which lowers producer returns and can cut the cattle inventory needed for feedlot and feed-ingredient demand.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bearish ▼
- LCATTLE: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2020-03-26 | 1 | -7.8% | -4.0 | Fed cattle price declines and uncertain domestic and export beef demand feed through to lower feeder cattle values via packer margins and sentiment. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2020-03-28 | [Coronavirus hits already struggling US farmers with drop in prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7966-coronavirus-hits-already-struggling-us-farmers-with-drop-in-prices.md) | -2.5% | -14.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-03-06 | [Analyst: Cattle markets roiled by the coronavirus](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5172-analyst-cattle-markets-roiled-by-the-coronavirus.md) | -4.7% | -5.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-04-02 | [Why beef prices are up and cattle prices are down](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6286-why-beef-prices-are-up-and-cattle-prices-are-down.md) | -5.8% | -13.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-04-03 | [Cattle markets are on a coronavirus roller coaster - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7267-cattle-markets-are-on-a-coronavirus-roller-coaster-high-plains-journal.md) | -2.9% | -12.7% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-05-19 | [Feeder cattle producers living a nightmare - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53274-feeder-cattle-producers-living-a-nightmare-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +1.6% | -4.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2020-03-06 | [Analyst: Cattle markets roiled by the coronavirus](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5172-analyst-cattle-markets-roiled-by-the-coronavirus.md) | -11.1% | -17.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2020-04-02 | [Why beef prices are up and cattle prices are down](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6286-why-beef-prices-are-up-and-cattle-prices-are-down.md) | +2.1% | +1.5% |
| FCATTLE | 2020-04-03 | [Cattle markets are on a coronavirus roller coaster - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7267-cattle-markets-are-on-a-coronavirus-roller-coaster-high-plains-journal.md) | +8.0% | +6.5% |

## Sources

- lsuagcenter.com: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/rbogren/articles/page1585154479341

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