Direct cash cattle trade activity remains quiet through midday.  Bids haven’t surfaced.  Asking prices are around $184-plus live in the South, while the North remains quiet.  Packer inquiry could start to pick yet today.  But if business follows the trend of recent weeks, significant trade volume is like going to be delayed until the latter half of the week.

Boxed beef is mixed at midday with light to moderate demand for light offerings.  Choice is $2.59 lower at $298.29 and Select is $1.31 higher at $292.65.  The Choice/Select spread is $5.64. 

At the Callaway Livestock Center in Missouri, steer calves 400 to 500 pounds were firm to $7 higher, steers 500 to 550 pounds were steady, steers 550 to 600 pounds were $5 to $10 lower, and steers 600 to 700 pounds were $2 to $7 lower. 

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