Market News & Headlines >> March Feedlot Placement Expected Below Last Year

USDA’s monthly Cattle-on-Feed report is expected to show the April 1 U.S. feedlot inventory was 5% smaller than a year earlier after placements of cattle on feed were below a year earlier for a seventh straight month during March.

Trade estimates of the April 1 feedlot inventory average 95% of a year earlier in a range from 94.5%-95.5% of a year earlier, according to a Reuters News Service survey of 10 livestock analysts. At the average of trade estimates, the April 1 feedlot inventory would total 11.538 million head, 607,000 below a year earlier.

Pre-report expectations for March placements of cattle on feed average 94.8% of a year earlier in a range from 91.5%-99.0%. At the average of trade expectations, March placements would total 1.901 million head, 104,000 below a year earlier.

Pre-report estimates of March feedlot marketings average 99.1% of a year earlier in a range from 97.2%-100.0%. At the average of trade expectations, March feedlot marketings would total 1.982 million head, 18,000 below a year earlier.