For March 2022, the annual forecast for commercial beef production was raised 195 million pounds to 27.57 billion pounds from the previous month, on stronger expected non-fed and fed cattle slaughter. During February, based on actual and estimated figures, cow federally inspected slaughter was up 12.2% compared to the same time last year.
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Most of the increase was due to weather disruptions for the Feb. 20, 2021, weekly slaughter, which produced extremely low weekly slaughter for a non-holiday week. Compared with 2020 and 2019, monthly cow slaughter for February 2022 was down 9.5% and 12.4%, respectively. Feeder cattle entering feedlots during January were below 2020, and placements for the quarter are expected to be below a year earlier, although deteriorating pasture conditions and wheat prices might encourage a more rapid placement rate than previously assumed. Fed cattle marketings are expected to be slightly higher in the second half of 2022 than the previous month, reflecting a larger number of placements in the first quarter as well as that higher feed prices will likely encourage feedlot operators to be as current as possible in cattle marketings. The average price for all grades of live steers sold in the 5-area marketing region in February 2022 was reported at $141.32 per hundredweight (cwt), up 24.1%, or ...
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