It’s another quiet start for direct cash cattle trade activity.  Bids and asking prices have not been established.  Showlists appear to be larger across all major feeding areas.  Significant trade volume isn’t expected to develop until the latter half of the week.

Boxed beef is higher at midday with solid demand for light offerings.  Choice was $2.24 higher at $295.72 and Select is $.43 higher at $284.20.  The Choice/Select spread is $11.52.

At the Joplin Regional Stockyards in Missouri, there was a record offering of 15,578 head. 

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