Weekly Roundup September 18, 2026

 This week on The Headquarters' Range, we look at recent price trends for calves and feeder cattle, along with the latest policy developments affecting Florida cattle producers. The episode also highlights key industry updates cattlemen should have on their radar in the weeks ahead. 

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_01 0:00

We won't look for the green.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

Welcome to the Headquarters Range weekly roundup from the Florida Cattlemans Association. I'm Abby Royal, FCA Communications Projects and Event Coordinator. Dusty Hawley is in Gainesville today representing FCA alongside the other members of Florida's big seven agricultural organizations in a meeting with the University of Florida's new president, Dr. Stuart R. Bell. FCA President John Williamson and Florida Cattlemans Foundation Chair Henry Kempfer are there with him. Those relationships matter. UF research, extension, education, and leadership touch nearly every part of Florida cattle production, and FCA appreciates the opportunity to represent our members in that conversation. Here at the headquarters range, we begin this week with the pasture mealybug. Our opening general session at last week's Fall Quarterly made it clear that this is one of the most serious production challenges Florida's cattle industry has confronted in years. The questions that remain will require cooperation among producers, researchers, extension, state agencies, federal agencies, and agricultural organizations. The FCA moved that work forward this week by drafting and sending a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis requesting state action, including an appropriate emergency declaration and coordinated response involving surveillance, sampling, diagnostics, research, mapping, and the regulatory tools that may be needed. FCA is also gathering signatures from cattlemen's associations in other affected states for a letter to the United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. That federal letter is still being assembled. The goal is to demonstrate that this is not simply a local Florida problem and to seek a coordinated multi-state response involving USDA's plant pest authorities, research capacity, and available emergency resources. This is the next step following the discussion at our quarterly. Awareness is important, but awareness has to lead to action. Producers can help by documenting what they are seeing, take photographs, keep notes about the location and timing of pasture damage, and communicate with extension and industry representatives. Good field information will help researchers and government officials understand the scope of the problem and direct resources where they can do the most good. We will keep our members informed as those state and federal efforts move forward. Animal health diligence also remains important. USDA has announced a phased reopening for cattle movements through the New Mexico port, while surveillance and sterile fly work continue in response to the New World Screwworm. Active infestations involving a horse and dog in Texas are reminders that screw worm can affect livestock, wildlife, pets, and people. Producers should continue inspecting animals closely, particularly around wounds, nails, D-warning sites, and other areas where flies may be attracted. So, although the pasture melee bug is demanding immediate attention here in Florida, we cannot afford to relax our diligence on screwworm. From those production risks, let's turn to cattle markets. Thursday was a difficult day in the futures board. Nearby live cattle settled at $215.65 down $2.80. Nearby feeder cattle settled at $334.82.5 down $3.65. The CME feeder cattle index, however, increased 43 cents to $343.17. As we prepare this episode Friday afternoon, trading is still underway. The laid CME data shortly before noon central showed October live cattle at approximately $215.37.5, down about 27.5 cents from Thursday's settlement. September feeder cattle were around $334.17.5, down about 65 cents. Those are intraday figures, not final Friday settlements, but they indicate that the market had stabilized somewhat following Thursday's sharper losses. In the negotiated cash trade, Northern live cattle moved mostly from $222 to $223, while dressed trade ranged from approximately $350 to $355. That was generally steady with the previous week. Wholesale beef moved lower Thursday. Choice boxed beef declined $3.66 to $372.15. Select declined $2.69 to $351.88. That left the Choice Select spread at $20.27. Another number worth watching is carcass weight. USDA's latest year carcass weight figure was $973 pounds. That is 4 pounds heavier than the previous week and 15 pounds heavier than a year ago. Heavier weights add beef to the system, even while total cattle supplies remain historically tight. Feed markets were relatively quiet Thursday. Corn closed at approximately $5.30.5 per bushel, down 3 3 quarter cents. Soybeans were nearly unchanged at approximately $13.20. Taken together, the market still has strong underlying support from the limited cattle supplies and solid beef demand, but the movement this week is another reminder that these record price levels can bring record-sized swings. Wholesale beef values, carcass weights, imports, feed cost, and consumer demand all deserve close attention. Closer to home, Florida's auction markets continue to show demand for the right kind of feeder cattle. USDA reported approximately 900 head at Arcadia on Wednesday. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady while feeder cattle sold generally $2 to $6 higher. Medium and large number, one steers weighing 405 to 435 pounds averaged $490.71 per hundredweight. Comparable heifers weighing 410 to 435 pounds averaged $428.52. Okeechobee reported 866 head on Tuesday. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady and feeder cattle ranged from steady to $5 higher. Medium and large number one steers weighing 405 to 425 pounds averaged $469.52 per 100 weight. Heifers weighing 410 to 435 pounds averaged $426.73. Those averages demonstrate the strength that remains in the Florida feeder market. They also show why condition, health, weight, uniformity, lot size, and management history matter. Buyers continue to compete aggressively for cattle that fit their programs, but producers should never assume every class or every individual animal will follow a broad market average. Weather is part of that marketing and management picture as well. Much of Florida received between two and four inches of rain during the previous week, bringing some improvement to dry areas. A few smaller pockets of serious dryness remain, however, rainfall has continued to be uneven. The weekend outlook calls for Florida's familiar combination of heat, humidity, and scattered thunderstorms, with highs generally in the upper 80s and lower 90s. South Florida has the better chance of above normal rainfall. Producers trying to make hay will need to watch those scattered rain chances carefully. Heat stress and dependable water supplies also remain important, especially when working and transporting cattle. And even during a quieter period in the Atlantic, September is not the time to let hurricane preparation slide. Whatever the tropics look like on any one Friday can change quickly. Turning to Washington, USDA announced up to $50 million through its stand-up program to help expand the cooperative interstate shipment system. 30 states operate state meat inspection programs, but only 11 currently participate in the cooperative interstate shipment program. Approved participation allows qualifying state inspected processors to sell products across state lines under federal oversight. For cattle producers, the potential benefit is greater regional processing capacity and more marketing options. The funding may help participating states provide outreach, technical assistance, training, and support for smaller processors seeking to enter the program. Funding alone will not solve every processing challenge. Labor, regulatory compliance, construction costs, operating capital, and dependable livestock supplies still matter, but expanding access to inspected regional processing is an opportunity worth following. Congress is also moving on farm policy. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 on a 12 to 11 vote. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association opposes the bill in its current form. NCBA's concerns include the return of mandatory country of origin labeling and the absence of a federal solution addressing California's Proposition 12. It is important to be clear about NCBA's position on labeling. NCBA is not opposed to accurate origin labeling. The organization worked extensively on the current voluntary and verifiable product of USA standard. Under that standard, the claim is reserved for meat from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States. NCBA's objection is to bringing back the previous mandatory government cool system that program produced adverse World Trade Organization rulings, exposed American agriculture to the threat of retaliatory tariffs, and was repealed in 2015. Other cattle organizations support mandatory country of origin labeling. So this remains a real policy debate within the industry. NCBA's position is that producers and consumers deserve truthful labeling, but that the failed structure of the former mandatory program should not be repeated. As the farm bill advances, FCA will continue monitoring the details and working through NCBA to make sure Florida cattle producers are represented. In Tallahassee, the pastor mealybug response is FCA's immediate production policy priority. We will watch for the governor's response on this week's letter and continue building support for federal engagement. Florida voters should also begin familiarizing themselves with the constitutional amendments appearing on the November ballot. Amendment two is the agriculture-specific proposal FCA supported and worked to advance. It would exempt qualifying tangible personal property, such as eligible farm equipment and tools from ad valorum taxation when that property is habitually located or typically present on agriculturally classified land, used in agricultural production or agritourism and owned by the landowner or leaseholder. This is not a homestead exemption. Amendment three is the separate proposal dealing with homestead property taxes. Both require 60% voter approval. If approved, amendment two would apply beginning with tax years starting January 1, 2027. We encourage everyone to understand the distinction and explain why Amendment 2 directly matters to Florida agriculture. Membership also deserves attention as September moves along. September 30th is the end of NCBA's physical year. If you have not joined, renewed, or checked the status of your NCBA membership, now is the time. Florida's membership strength determines the seats and votes our state holds on the NCBA board of directors. Those seats give Florida cattle producers a voice when national policy is being debated. Every membership helps maintain that representation. The same is true here at home. We encourage everyone to get their FCA dues renewed promptly. Current membership supports FCA's representation, information, and service as it keeps the Florida Cattleman and Livestock Journal coming to you. Just like last year, the November issue will include important information about the Florida Cattlemen's Association Convention, so make sure your membership and mailing information are current. Fall is also County Cattlemen's Association meeting season. FCA wants to support our county affiliates and the cattlemen and cattle women doing the work at the local level. We are excited about the upcoming district meetings for county leaders and the opportunity to listen, share information, and strengthen communication across the state. Please let FCA know when your county is meeting and what your association is working on. We want to highlight county activities in the magazine when we can, and we want the opportunity to send an FCA officer, staff member, or representative to your meeting. Our grassroots system only works when communication moves in both directions, from the counties to the state association and from FCA back to its members. We also want to thank everyone who supported Monday's rollover auction fundraiser for Wayne Brown Jr. at Ocala Stockyard. Wayne is a longtime FCA member, a dedicated participant in the animal health side of our industry, and a good man and friend to many cattle producers across the state. We especially appreciate Tobiatha Bellamy, Burton, and the entire Ocala Stockyard team for organizing the effort along with every producer and member of the agricultural community who donated an animal, designated sale proceeds, contributed directly, or helped spread the word. That is what an agricultural family looks like when one of its own needs support. By the time this episode is available, Friday's Beef on Forge Beefmaster Florida Bowl sale at Arcadia Stockyard will have concluded, and most of the Friday activities at the North Florida Commercial Heifer Pen Show and sale in Gainesville will be complete. The Heifer event continues Saturday at the University of Florida Beef Teaching Unit. We appreciate the young people, families, consigners, volunteers, buyers, and extension professionals who make events like this possible. We look forward to sharing results once they are available. Looking farther ahead, the Carl McKettrick Redfish Roundup is October 2nd and 3rd. Entries are open and part of the proceeds help support scholarship through the Florida Cattlemans Foundation. A good opportunity for industry fellowship and a way to invest in the next generation. October 9th is the application deadline for the Florida Forest Service's Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program. That program may be useful to cattle producers who also own or manage pine timber in one of the 44 eligible northern Florida counties. And please put December 10th and 11th on your calendar for the FCA year-end quarterly meeting in Okeechobee. Here are three things to remember from this week. First, FCA's pasture mealybug work is moving from awareness into formal state and federal action. The letter to Governor DeSantis has been sent, and support is being gathered from other state cattlemen's associations for the letter to Secretary Rollins. Second, cattle prices remain historically strong, but this week showed how quickly these markets can move. Watch futures, boxed beef, cash trade, feed cost, and local auction conditions together. Third, membership and grassroots participation matter. Renew your NCBA and FCA memberships, support your county affiliate, and let FCA know what's happening in your community. Next week, we will be watching for movement on the state and federal mealybug response, progress on the Senate farm bill, developments involving mandatory country of origin labeling, the phased reopening of movements through New Mexico, any new screw arm detections, and the cattle markets response following this week's fatality. We will also keep watching Florida's local auctions, rainfall patterns, and the many fall county association meetings taking place around the state. Finally, FCA plans to bring you a headquarters range episode every week. For our Allied members, sponsorship offers an opportunity to keep your name and support a Florida cattle's industry in front of the people who make that industry work. If that sounds like a good fit, please reach out to the FCA and talk with us about the possibilities. That is this week's headquarters range weekly roundup. Thank you for listening and for supporting the Florida Cattlemen's Association. We look forward to being back with you next Friday. God bless and go wildcats.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

I was alone, a girl that was figured in my master plan.