Hereford cattleLast week fed steers came in near $200 per cwt in the Northern Plains market. The weekly average fed steer price was $198.09 per cwt. This was a negotiated, live, weighted average price across quality grades.

The Southern cattle market realized slightly lower prices. The Texas-Oklahoma market came in at $190.19 per cwt. The price spread between the Northern and the Southern cattle markets was $7.90 cwt.

This pricing difference is a rather recent occurrence. Before 2022, a price difference greater than $ per cwt. was rare. From 2015 through 2021 the average price difference was $0.20 per cwt. Part of this may be due to regional supply versus packer needs.

As cattle supplies continue to tighten, we may see more record prices.

Read more about the record cattle prices here.