USDA Lifts 2026 Steer Price Forecast to $251.10 as Drought Tightens U.S. Cattle Supplies
Updated
Updated · RFD-TV · Jul 22
USDA Lifts 2026 Steer Price Forecast to $251.10 as Drought Tightens U.S. Cattle Supplies
1 articles · Updated · RFD-TV · Jul 22
Summary
$251.10 per hundredweight is USDA’s new 2026 steer price forecast, up 94 cents, with 2027 raised 50 cents to $254.25.
USDA cut its beef production outlook after fewer steer and heifer slaughter numbers and lower cattle placements pointed to tighter supplies into next year.
46% of the U.S. cattle inventory now sits in drought-affected areas, up from 16% a year ago, complicating herd rebuilding despite near-record cattle prices.
Kansas feedlot margins are projected to swing from a $485.52-per-head June profit on steers to losses of $323.52 in September and $344.76 in October as feeder and feeding costs rise.
That mix of tight supplies, drought pressure and weaker expected fed-cattle prices suggests elevated cattle prices may persist even as feedlot profitability deteriorates.