en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 21st, Josh Maples, a livestock economist with Mississippi State University Extension, pointed out that in the Cattle on Feed report released this week, the placement volume will be the core data to watch. This report is released after 15 consecutive months of declining feedlot numbers, and changes in placement volume are expected to reflect industry dynamics.

Josh Maples stated that this downward trend is unlikely to change in the short term. He said, "We had some weather issues in February, which may show up in the report. Placements in January were down about 5% compared to the same period last year, so there is some uncertainty."

Regarding the Cattle on Feed report, Maples mentioned that due to the ongoing threat of New World screwworm, the U.S. border remains closed to live cattle imports from Mexico. He said, "There's no movement there, no cattle coming in. This directly reduces placement volumes, particularly in the southern United States."

Pre-report estimates show placement volume holding nearly steady, up 0.3% year-over-year. Feeding expectations are down nearly one percentage point (0.7%), while marketings are projected to decline by more than 7.5%. This Cattle on Feed report will be released Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time (2 p.m. Central Time).