Several hide market participants said that cow hide demand was strong on Thursday October 10, driven by upholstery tanners, but steer hide demand was lackluster for some sellers.

Sellers said that bidding volumes, in terms of containers and number of buyers in demand, was large. Most expect trades to close by Friday October 11. Several sources credited the demand from upholstery tanners in Asia as well as the historically low cow slaughter.

The USDA reported dairy cow slaughter year-to-date in the week ended September 28 to be 2,048,890 head, down 13.84% from the same period in 2023.

Branded steer hides were reported at $21.50 per piece, up $0.50 per piece from last reported levels. Colorado branded steer hides traded up $1 per piece for light, regular and jumbo weight selections, at $18 per piece, $20 per piece and $21 per piece respectively.

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