Cattle Market Guys - Week Wrap Up 6-12-2026

Screwworm has moved from threat to confirmed reality — with cases now verified in both Texas and New Mexico, Mexico has suspended live animal imports from the United States. This week's episode of Cattle Market Guys breaks down what that means for producers and the broader cattle trade. Brock and Jim open with the market snapshot for the week of June 12, 2026, walking through feeder steer prices across weight classes, flagging the thin volume that makes this week's prints unreliable benchmarks, and sharing model forecasts that point to modest price softening in the near term. The cash-to-futures relationship gets its own spotlight, with CME live cattle futures running at a notable discount to cash markets — a dynamic that's been providing upward price support and signaling that traders see staying power in current cash strength. The June WASDE report projects steady prices for both cattle and corn, offering some stability amid broader uncertainty. The episode also examines the global trade pressures stacking up around the industry: Russian strikes on Ukraine's Black Sea port infrastructure are threatening grain export flows with downstream implications for US feed costs, while US beef exports continue to lag year-over-year with China's absence as a buyer cited as a key driver. Jim draws on firsthand experience from the 1988 drought and trade disruptions to put the current moment in historical perspective — and to caution against reactive decisions when multiple headwinds hit at once.