Weekly Roundup September 4, 2026

In this week’s episode of The Headquarters' Range, we review the latest developments in the cattle markets and share policy and industry updates that Florida cattle producers need to know. Tune in for a quick rundown of the issues shaping the cattle business and the information that could affect your operation in the weeks ahead.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_02 0:00

We rode at a high lobe for most of the day. And we made a big circle and brought them all down through the coolies and draws to the big roundup round. River was rising from three days of rain. We brought them through to the headquarters range.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Welcome to the first full episode of the Headquarters Range weekly roundup, coming to you from the Florida Cattlemen's Association headquarters right here in Kissimmee, Florida. I'm Dusty Hawley, Executive Vice President of the Florida Cattlemen's Association. Every Friday, we're going to give you a look at what's been going down in the cattle industry, why it matters to Florida cattle producers, and what we need to keep on the horizon. Just like the headquarters range feature in the Florida Cattlemen and Lifestyle Journal, you may hear different FCA staff voices on this podcast from week to week. But no matter who is behind the microphone, our commitment is the same to bring Florida's cattle industry dependable, timely information that has been thoroughly researched. I'm tremendously proud of the staff we have assembled here at FCA, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead this team alongside President John Williamson, our officers, directors, committee leaders, county leaders, and all the volunteers and producers who give their time in service to the Florida cattle industry and the cattlemen's association. Let's begin with the cattle markets, and it has certainly been an eventful week. Thursday's official settlement showed October live cattle at $214.30, up $4.12 on the day. December live cattle settled at $216.12, also gaining more than $4. The feeder market was even stronger. September feeder cattle settled Thursday at $325.85, up $6.87. October feeders settled at $321.10, up $6.72. At the time we're recording this Friday afternoon, the market has given a little Thursday's sharp move back because Friday's session is not officially closed, those are intraday movements, not final weekly settlements. But even with that modest pullback, cattle futures remain substantially higher for the week. In the negotiated cash trade, live cattle have generally been bringing around $218 to $219, with dressed cattle around $345. On the beef side, choice box beef was reported at $376.90, with select at $350.72. That left a choice select spread of $26.18. Cattle Facts also reported that the feeder cattle index stood at $328.27. Steer carcass weights reached $967 pounds, one pound heavier than the previous week, and 15 pounds heavier than a year ago. Those heavier weights helped add beef to the system, but they have not erased the underlying supply problem. The cattle inventory remains historically small, and demand for beef has held up remarkably well at these price levels. That combination has produced tremendous cattle values, but it has also created tremendous dollar exposure. A strong market does not eliminate risk. It makes disciplined marketing, cost control, and risk management even more important. Futures, cash cattle, and boxed beef tell us what is happening nationally, but Florida cattle producers also want to know what cattle are actually bringing through the cell barns here at home. USDA's Florida weekly livestock auction summary covered 5,212 head this week, compared with 5,811 in the previous report and 4,318 during the comparable week last year. Florida feeder cattle traded unevenly steady for the week. Slaughter cattle were generally $3 to $5 lower, while replacement cows remained steady. For medium and large number one feeder steers, 400 to 440 pound calves averaged about $449 per 100 weight. Steers weighing 500 to 540 pounds averaged roughly $373, while 600 to 645 pound steers averaged about $324. Comparable number one heifers weighing 400 to 445 pounds averaged approximately $414 per 100 weight. 540 pound heifers averaged around $344, and 600 to 640 pound heifers averaged approximately $310. Average dressing boning cows averaged just over $150 per 100 weight. Average dressing breaker cows averaged about $156, while average dressing slaughter bulls averaged approximately $187. At Okeechobee, $1,049 head were reported. Feeder steers, bulls, and heifers were generally steady to $2 higher. Slaughter cows were $1 to $3 lower, and slaughter bulls were $3 to $6 lower. The takeaway from our Florida markets is that quality calves are still commanding exceptional money and buyers continue to show up. But quality, weight, condition, health, and management are still reflected in the price. A high market rewards good cattle, but it does not make every animal worth the same amount. That strong demand was also on display during two important Florida heifer sales last week. The FCA Quality Replacement Heifer Sale held at the Arcadia Stockyard was an excellent sale with strong buyer participation throughout the day. The sale included 441 head, 288 breadheifers, and 153 open heifers. Across all 288 breadheifers, including some variation in quality, the average was $4,478 per head. If you pull out a handful of those cattle that pulled that number down, the remaining bread heifers averaged $4,625 per head. The $153 open heifers averaged $2,706 per head. We appreciate everyone who consigned cattle, purchased cattle, worked the sale, or helped make the day successful. That marketing committee led by Chairman Hunter Horn, tremendous job. Tremendous job. Florida's elite commercial heifer sale followed on Saturday in Okeechobee and produced another strong result. According to the sales published figures, open heifers averaged $2,994 per head, while bread heifers averaged $4,853 per head. Great job, Todd Harvey and crew. Those results bring us to the bigger question hanging over the cattle business. With replacement females bringing that kind of money, what will it take for producers to retain heifers and rebuild the cow herd? That question is driving much of the conversation in Washington, DC. This week, USDA announced its ranchers first initiative. The package includes proposed livestock risk protection tools for retained breeding heifers, greater flexibility for disaster assistance, support for small and regional processors, additional domestic beef purchasing, and assistance aimed at beginning farmers, ranchers, and veterans. There are parts of that package worth welcoming. Disaster recovery, meaningful risk management tools, domestic beef purchases, regional processing capacity, and help for the next generation can all strengthen the cattle business. The proposed heifer retention component deserves a little closer examination. Retaining a heifer means giving up a very strong sale opportunity today in hopes of producing calves later. Price protection may help manage that decision, but no government program can manufacture grass, lower production cost, solve labor problems, or give a producer confidence in the market by itself. Any successful program must support voluntary, market based decisions, not distort them. The same principle applies to another major action from Washington. On August twenty sixth, President Trump issued a proclamation temporarily increasing the amount of lean beef trimmings eligible to enter United States under the lower tariff rate quota by three hundred thousand metric tons. The additional quota is divided into three monthly tranches of one hundred thousand metric tons, beginning September 1st and continuing through the end of November. The White House says the purpose is to increase the supply of lean trimming used in ground beef and provide some price relief to consumers. The administration also says the action is not expected to materially affect the Fed cattle market. We understand the pressure families are feeling at the grocery store, and we appreciate the administration's broader attention to America's cattle producers. But we also have to be honest about where imported lean beef competes most directly. It competes in the market for domestic lean beef from cows and bulls. That matters in Florida. Our cocail market represents real income for cattle producers, and many Florida operations depend on one primary calf check each year. A temporary policy can still introduce longer-term uncertainty into marketing decisions. We support open, fair, and science-based trade. We also believe American cattle producers should not be asked to bear the cost of short-term efforts to manipulate consumer prices. Imported products must meet the same rigorous food safety and inspection standards expected of domestic beef. That point was reinforced by the recent recall of approximately twenty nine thousand six hundred and twenty-eight pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina without the required import reinspection. No illnesses were reported, but the incident is a reminder that inspection safeguards matter. We will continue watching how quickly the temporary quota fills, where the product originates, what prices it enters at, and what effect it has on the domestic cow and ground beef markets. Another signal worth watching came from the packing sector. Tyson lowered its profit outlook while pointing to the historic cattle shortage and continued volatility in cattle cost. That does not change the strong cattle market we are experiencing today, but it illustrates the tension running through the entire supply chain. Cattle are scarce. Cattle feeders are paying historically high prices, packers are facing difficult margins, retailers are managing expensive beef, and consumers are seeing those costs at the meat counter. There is no quick policy action that can produce a mature calf, rebuild a cow herd, or create additional beef overnight. Biology still sets the timetable. And before any producer decides to retain more females, there's an even more basic question to answer. Do we have the grass and water to support them? That takes us to cattle country weather. Across Florida, deep tropical moisture is supporting scattered to widespread afternoon thunderstorms. Portions of central and east central Florida could receive two to three inches of rain with isolated totals approaching five inches where storms repeatedly move across the same area. Some locations may receive exactly the rain they need. Others may see temporary flooding, soft pasture interests, difficult cattle access, lightning, and strong wind gusts. North Florida is also dealing with dangerous heat. Heat index readings could approach 108 degrees in some areas. Producers need to keep dependable water and shade available and avoid unnecessary cattle handling during the hottest part of the day. The rain should provide some help for forage and stockwater, but the benefits will remain uneven. A hard afternoon rain does not necessarily erase deeper moisture deficits, and too much rain in a short period can create a different set of management problems. The National Hurricane Center reports that tropical cyclone formation is not expected in the Atlantic, Caribbean, or Gulf during the next seven days. That is welcome news, but September is no time for Florida agriculture to let its guard down. Beyond Florida, the national weather picture is much more difficult. The latest U.S. drought monitor shows flash drought expanding across a broad area stretching from Texas through Oklahoma and southern Kansas and into Arkansas. Southern Missouri, northern Mississippi, and portions of western Tennessee. Yes, I said flash drought. Soil moisture and stream flow remain low in parts of Oklahoma and northern Texas. Pasture deterioration, stockwater pressure, supplemental feeding, and wildfire danger are becoming increasingly important concerns. Some rainfall has helped portions of East Texas, but it has not solved the broader forage and water deficits. Meanwhile, extreme heat continues across much of the southern plains, with temperatures around 100 degrees in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Conditions are more mixed across the high plains and cornbelt. Moisture in parts of those regions offers a somewhat better feed crop outlook, but the Southern Plains forage situation remains a major concern. That national weather story matters to Florida cattlemen because herd rebuilding depends on grass. When a large share of the cow herd is exposed to drought, producers are less likely to retain females. Hay demand remains supported, supplemental feed costs rise, and the national cattle supply stays tight longer. Here in Florida, however, drought is not the only threat to our forage base. The most immediate invasive pest threat currently confronting Florida's forage and cattle production system is the pasture mealybug. The correct name, or the Latin name, is heliococcus summervili, which I'm probably didn't pronounce right, but that's okay. Sugarcane is one of the grasses it can affect, but this isn't something that's confined to sugarcane. The pest was first confirmed in Florida in May of this year and has spread rapidly across the state. It feeds on the sap of grasses and has been associated with rapid pasture decline and in severe cases complete dieback. Limpograss, bahia grass, Bermuda grass, hayfields, turf grass, sugar cane all be affected. The pest can be difficult to detect early and effective long-term management guidance is still being developed. That is especially serious in Florida because one of our historic advantages has been our ability to grow forage for a longer portion of the year than other parts of the country. Much of our cattle industry depends on predominantly perennial forage systems requiring relatively fewer inputs than heavily cultivated ground or annual forage systems. A pest capable of damaging that forage base threatens one of the foundations of cattle production in this state. Wet conditions and a heavy forage canopy can also make scouting and pasture management more difficult. Producers should continue inspecting pastures carefully and reporting suspicious areas through the appropriate channels. That is why pasture mealybug will receive top level attention during the opening general session at FCA's September quarterly meeting next week. FCA is engaged. We are devoting considerable time and effort to this issue and working with the Florida Department of Ag and Consumer Services, UFIS, researchers, landowners, and other industry partners. We are going to keep pushing for answers while being honest about what is known, what is not yet known, and where the science is still developing. We do not want to overpromise a quick solution, but we are doing everything responsibly possible to make sure this receives the attention it deserves. The same time, we must maintain sustained vigilance toward the new world screw worm. Screw worm remains a serious animal health threat. Douglas, Arizona remains the only port reopened for cattle entering from Mexico, and animal health officials continue taking a cautious approach. But in terms of the invasive pest creating the most immediate concern inside Florida's forage production system today, Pasture Mealybug is at the top of that list. That brings us directly to the FCA fall quarterly meeting, September 10th and 11th, here in Kissimmee. We hope every FCA member who can attend will be there. The opening general session begins Thursday afternoon at one o'clock and will feature a serious high-level industry discussion about pasture mealybug and what we know so far. Committee meetings begin at 2 o'clock, followed by the 3 o'clock committee block. Those later committee meetings generally carry some of the fuller agendas. Every FCA member has a vote in our committee process. You do not have to sit on the board of directors to participate. The policies and priorities of this association begin with our members in those committee rooms, and we want your voice included. After the committee work wraps up, attendees can walk next door for the September quarterly social and cocktail hour beginning at five o'clock. It is being hosted by Florida Cattlewomen President Deborah Whaley, together with our Osceola County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen and is open to everyone in attendance. Should be a ton of fun. Please come fellowship with us. We appreciate Deborah and the local group for helping us celebrate a full hour of fellowship between the committee meetings and the stakeout. Stakeout begins approximately at 6 o'clock. Osceola County is Deborah's home county, and we are proud to recognize her theme as Florida Cattleman president, Beef. Build your brand. We are equally proud of FCA President John Williamson and his theme, Keepers of His Land. Those themes speak well to who we are, telling the story of beef, caring for the land, and carrying this industry forward. Come for the general session, participate in the committee process, stay for the social hour and the stakeout, then come back Friday morning and watch your board of directors at work. It will be a full couple of days of business, fellowship, and grassroots participation, and we sure hope to see you in Kissimmee. That same grassroots participation will also be important when Florida voters consider two different property tax amendments. Amendment two is the agriculture-specific proposal that FCA supported and worked to advance with some of our closest legislative leaders. It would exempt qualifying tangible personal property that is habitually located or typically present on agriculturally classified land used in agriculture production or agritourism and owned by the agricultural landowner or leaseholder from ad valorium taxation. In practical terms, this concerns qualifying farm equipment, tools, and other tangible property used in agriculture production. We are not talking about a homestead exemption. This is a proposal that directly affects agriculture. Like every amendment to Florida's Constitution, Amendment 2 must receive at least 60% of the vote to pass. If approved, it would first apply to assessments for tax years beginning January 1st, 2027. Amendment three is separate. It concerns the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes and the assessment cap on non-homesteaded property. There will be two different property tax questions before voters, and we want our members to understand the distinction. Amendment two is the proposal specifically addressing qualifying tangible personal property used in agriculture and agritourism. While we are talking about agriculture's relationship with public policy, there was also encouraging stewardship news from the Everglades agricultural area. The South Florida Water Management District reported that EAA farmers achieved a 65% reduction in total phosphorus load during water year 2026 compared with the historic baseline. The requirement under the Everglades Forever Act is 25%. So this year's results substantially exceeded the legal requirement. The EAA has exceeded that requirement every year since the first determination in water year 1996 with a long-term average reduction of 57%. It's important to describe that result correctly. This is a reduction in phosphorus load from basin runoff compared with a historic baseline, not a phosphorus concentration measurement. But it's a strong, measurable evidence that agricultural producers working through science-based best management practices can produce meaningful environmental results. That's a stewardship story worth telling. Heck, somebody ought to put it on a ball cap and sell it. One additional opportunity may be useful to cattle producers who also own or manage pine timber. Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Forest Service have opened applications for the 2026 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program. The program serves eligible non-industrial private forest landowners in 44 northern Florida counties within the Beetle's known range. Applications remain open through October 9th. Now, here are a few upcoming dates to keep on the calendar. The Carl McKettrick Redfish Roundup is scheduled for October 2nd and 3rd. Entries are open, and part of the event's proceeds help support a scholarship through the Florida Catamus Foundation. I'll be fishing in that event and I'm excited about it. It's a good opportunity for fellowship and competition while also investing in the next generation. Contact FCA or other event organizers for entry information. The FCA year and quarterly meeting will be December 10th and 11th in Okechobee. Go ahead and put those dates on your calendar now. And of course, our fall quarterly is next week, September 10th and 11th in Kissimmee. Before we wrap up, a real quick word to our Allied member. FCA plans to produce the headquarters range weekly roundup every Friday. It creates an ongoing opportunity for Allied members to put their name before Florida's cattle industry and keep it there. If you're interested in sponsoring, just let us know. Here are three things to remember this week. First, cattle prices remain historically strong. Florida calves are bringing exceptional money, but volatility and high dollar exposure make disciplined marketing and risk management more important, not less important. Second, grass remains one of the biggest factors shaping this industry. Drought is limiting herd rebuilding across the southern plains, while pasture mealybug presents the most immediate invasive pest concern for Florida's forage production. Third, FCA's grassroots process belongs to its members. Every member has a vote in the committee process, and we want you participating in Kissimmee next week. Looking ahead, we'll be watching the Friday cattle market close, next week's cash trade, and whether Florida's sale barn prices continue to hold at these historic levels. We'll monitor the temporary expansion of the beef import quota, the USDA ranchers' first proposals, and what each may mean to Florida's producers. We'll keep watching rainfall here at home, drought and extreme heat across the southern plains, and any changes in the tropics. And we'll remain closely engaged on pasture mealybug and the new world screw worm as we prepare for an important fall quarterly next week. Now, today's green swamp wisdom. Remember, you can get happy in the same pants you got mad in. Because sometimes nothing around you has to change. You just got to decide that you've been mad long enough. We sure hope to see you in person next week at the September Quarterly, and we hope you'll subscribe and listen to Headquarters Range weekly roundup every Friday. Thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

I was a loner drifting town. A girl never figured in my master plan. You came along and you opened my eyes to a feeling I'd never before realized. We've partnered up at the headquarters. Yes, we partnered up. I feel at home at the headquarters. We are tied us to us away. If we heard of the dead, we have And if we asked forgive the Starlights will be changed. We will talk about the headquarters train.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

Yes, if we ask forgive, the starlights will be changed. He'll take us home to the headquarters train.