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Cattle price records shattered

Mar 31, 2011 | 10:20 AM

Cattle futures on the Chicago market hit record highs yesterday for both feeders and live animals. Reports indicate that U.S. sales of chilled beef to Japan are up as that country works to restock its shelves.

Sandy Russell of Spring Creek Land & Cattle Consulting in her weekly newsletter called The Bottom Line says April live cattle closed at $120.55, while March feeder cattle finished the day at $133.50.

Based on early indications, Russell says Canadian fed cattle prices followed suit, with prices on the rail in Western Canada in the range of $195 to $198 per hundredweight.

She says tight supplies of cattle on both sides of the border look to sustain these strong prices for the next few weeks as cattle feeders pull more animals forward to capitalize on the record price levels.