On Tuesdays, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays visits with Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions as he talks about the latest in the markets and more. Established in 1995, Western has grown into a multi-generational family-owned and operated business and stands as a symbol of tradition, excellence, and a deep-rooted passion for the cattle industry. Western Livestock Auctions operates the Western Livestock Commission Firm, which sells cattle on Mondays and Tuesdays. They also operate the livestock auction markets in Woodward, Comanche, Waurika, and Knoxville, Iowa.
Cattle markets continue to face volatility heading into fall, with buyers and sellers trying to determine where prices go next. Hale said the latest sale was challenging, with yearlings generally steady according to USDA, but steers, heifers, and calves facing softer prices.
“It was sure kind of tough sledding,” Hale said. “I thought it was kind of lower. You know, they called the heifers a little lower. The steers to me were softer, and then of course the calves were quite a bit softer.” He said the market has struggled to find stability, moving lower by several dollars before recovering slightly and then turning lower again. “It’s hard to build any stability in the market when it’s doing that,” Hale said.
Hale said several factors are putting pressure on the cattle market, but he emphasized that many of the current concerns are not tied to cattle fundamentals. “The bad part about it is none of it’s fundamentals,” he said. “It’s all, you know, talk about what we’re going to do.” He said producers considering retaining more heifers are facing plenty of uncertainty, while also hoping for favorable weather that would allow winter wheat grazing. “I’m still holding out that we’re going to get an El Niño in here that we can get wheat grazing,” Hale said.
As buyers and sellers navigate the uncertainty, Hale said many are simply trying to figure out what comes next. “Everybody’s in the same boat trying to figure out what’s going to happen and which way this deal’s going to go,” he said. Upcoming Oklahoma sales include an expected 1,300 to 1,500 head at Waurika, about 350 cows at Woodward, and sales at Comanche and Woodward later in the week. Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City will be closed Monday and Tuesday next week, while Waurika, Comanche and Woodward will hold regular sales.
Hale can be contacted at 940-631-2333. Check out more about the marketing options that Western offers by clicking here.
