Direct cash cattle trade activity is quiet.  Bids and asking prices remain slow to surface.  Showlists this week are mixed – higher in Texas, but lower in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas.  Activity may pick up this afternoon, but it’s likely any significant business holds out until the latter half of the week.

Boxed beef is higher at midday on solid demand for moderate offerings.  Choice is $.63 higher at $302.70 and Select is $1.70 higher at $301.97.  The Choice/Select spread is $.73. 

At the Joplin Regional Stockyards in Missouri, feeder steers sold from $10 to $20 lower with the most declines on weights under 525 pounds. 

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