Cattle Market Guys - Tuesday Check In 6-23-2026

New World screwworm has reached 15 confirmed cases in the United States, with three new Texas animals testing positive in the latest reporting period — and a critical sterile fly facility won't come online until late 2027. For cattle producers across the southern half of the country, the window for early detection is now, and Brock and Jim break down exactly what to watch for and who to call. In this Tuesday Market Update, Brock and Jim cover the full feeder cattle price picture, with 500–549 lb. steers holding near $449/cwt. despite a gradual month-long softening, and a notable basis gap between cash prices and front-month futures that producers need to pencil out carefully before making placement commitments. Four-week model forecasts suggest further price softening in weeks three and four — a signal worth stress-testing against current breakevens. The episode also breaks down emerging global feed supply risks, including a potential super El Niño threatening grain output, USDA's addition of 30 million base acres to ARC and PLC programs, and the longer-term concern of prime farmland converting to data centers and solar farms. Brock and Jim close with the June 19 USDA cattle-on-feed report showing inventory up 2% year-over-year, improving drought conditions across the Lower 48, and a seasoned reminder from Jim that when everyone feeds cattle and drought breaks at once, the market has a way of solving one problem by creating another.