Kansas cattle prices on the swing
Hannah Brown
Pratt Tribune
Mike Lewis of Pratt Livestock thinks that cattle prices are headed in a direction that will favor the producer. He said that recently, meat packing plants have been under fire due to the vast difference in profit margins for ranchers versus packers.
“It was really bad for awhile. We were selling feeder cattle, 700-1000 pound steers, to the feed lots but we were losing money last summer,” said Lewis. “The packers were actually making, for a short time, they were netting $800 a head.”
Lewis said he believes there is a cycle for prices as the demand and number of cattle being sold fluctuate. He said he also understands that packers are doing their jobs to make money for their stockholders.