# Ag economists weigh in on COVID shutdown - Progressive Cattle | Ag Proud

> Stay-at-home orders and social distancing across the US are shifting how consumers buy beef and dairy. Futures and fed cattle prices fell to $105 to $112 live, while wholesale boxed beef Choice and Select cuts jumped more than $43 in the week of March 20. CattleFax analyst Lance Zimmerman warned that food service losses will weigh on beef demand later in 2020.

- Date: 2020-03-27 · published 2020-03-27T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/7964-ag-economists-weigh-in-on-covid-shutdown-progressive-cattle-ag-proud
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Weaker expected beef demand and a divergence between cash cattle and boxed beef prices point to lower cattle values and potentially reduced feedlot placements, which pressure feed ingredient demand.

## Read by commodity

- MILK: neutral
- FCATTLE: bearish ▼
- LCATTLE: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2020-03-26 | 1 | -7.8% | -4.0 | Economists warn that food service losses from shutdowns will weigh on beef demand later in 2020, a bearish demand sentiment factor for feeder cattle. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2020-03-17 | [UK ag economist says cattle markets volatile amidst COVID-19 uncertainties - The Lane Report \| Kentucky Business & Economic News - UK ag economist says cattle markets volatile amidst COVID-19 uncertainties](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11127-uk-ag-economist-says-cattle-markets-volatile-amidst-covid-19-uncertainties-the.md) | +5.7% | -0.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-03-29 | [Borders will shut to cattle in a lumpy skin outbreak, experts warn \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42217-borders-will-shut-to-cattle-in-a-lumpy-skin-outbreak-experts-warn-farm-online.md) | -0.7% | +1.3% |
| 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 | 2020-04-13 | [Economists hypothesize plant closure impacts](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53797-economists-hypothesize-plant-closure-impacts.md) | -2.4% | -5.5% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-03-24 | [Western Australia’s live cattle trade could be ‘stopped overnight’ by lumpy skin disease, Littleproud warns \| Countryman](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42223-western-australia-s-live-cattle-trade-could-be-stopped-overnight-by-lumpy-skin.md) | +0.2% | +2.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2020-03-17 | [UK ag economist says cattle markets volatile amidst COVID-19 uncertainties - The Lane Report \| Kentucky Business & Economic News - UK ag economist says cattle markets volatile amidst COVID-19 uncertainties](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11127-uk-ag-economist-says-cattle-markets-volatile-amidst-covid-19-uncertainties-the.md) | +15.4% | +7.3% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-03-29 | [Borders will shut to cattle in a lumpy skin outbreak, experts warn \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42217-borders-will-shut-to-cattle-in-a-lumpy-skin-outbreak-experts-warn-farm-online.md) | +1.5% | +0.1% |
| 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% |

## Sources

- agproud.com: https://www.agproud.com/articles/53699-ag-economists-weigh-in-on-covid-shutdown

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