Hide trading was active over the weekend for cow hides and premium quality Dairy Steers. Sellers pushed for higher cow hide prices as sellers report well sold positions and continuous, firm demand from the furniture upholstery sector.
While automotive tanners in Mexico remain relatively inactive, Chinese automotive tanners are bidding low steer hide prices in attempt to purchase material that sellers need to move. Several sellers reported bids for Butt Branded Steer (BBS) hides to range $25/piece to $28/piece at the start of the week.

Cattle Slaughter Forecast

Cattle slaughter is forecast by The Jacobsen at 650,00 head this week, which is down 1.88 percent from last week and down 0.45 percent from last year. Cattle slaughter finished last week at an estimated 637,000 head, up 3.07 from the week prior and relatively unchanged from last year. Over the next six weeks, slaughter is forecasted at an average of…