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Agriculture News

Cattle futures surge to contract highs

Beef Magazine

Cattle futures hit contract highs as packers cut kills and beef demand weakens under inflation pressure—mostly relevant to feedlot and cattle operations watching margin compression. Check your forward contracts and delivery schedules if you're holding cattle or considering liquidation timing.

Auctions

Four major livestock auctions hit the block April 15th across Iowa, Georgia, and Missouri—Central Plains (Humeston, IA), Northeast Georgia (Athens), and two Missouri yards (Vienna and Farmington). Cattle operators in those regions should scout catalogs now if spring herd work or restocking is on the calendar. Check what's moving and bid volumes; April prices may signal your grazing season costs.

Market Prices

Livestock as of 04/14/2026 (USDA daily)

Grants & Funding

Veterinary Services Grant Program closes Apr 16, 2026—may help offset rural vet costs and animal health services that hit your feed-to-profit margins hard. Check if your state has participating veterinarians; this one's designed for producers trying to keep costs down while keeping herds healthy.

Recent USDA Awards

Boll weevil program paying out $8M right now in Texas—if you run cotton, check your local foundation for application deadlines. Watershed protection grants hitting $19.3M nationally; soil and water districts in Mississippi are active. Worth a call to your county office if you farm near flood zones or manage acreage prone to erosion.

Subsidy Payments

$16.2 billion in farm subsidies flowed nationally last year, with top counties clustered in Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska—but your county's share depends on what you grow and your operation size. Check USDA's Farm Service Agency data to see if you're leaving money on the table or if eligibility rules changed for your operation.

Drought Status

Drought coverage jumped to 24.7% of U.S. land this week—highest since 2022—putting irrigated operations in the West and rain-dependent corn/soybean farmers in the Plains at risk for LFP payments and crop insurance triggers. Check your county's status now; eligibility windows close fast once USDA starts processing claims.

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