Texas Agriculture Market Recap April 20, 2015

AUSTIN – (April 20, 2015) For the week ending April 18, 2015, Texas auctions quoted feeder cattle prices mostly steady, with some prices fluctuating and ranging from $6 lower to $4 higher per hundredweight (cwt). Texas weekly direct feeder cattle sales were mostly weak to $4 lower. Wholesale beef values were higher, with Choice Grade gaining $1.28 to close at $257.79 per cwt and Select Grade rising $1.06 to $250.97 per cwt. Net export sales for April 3-9 were down three percent from the previous week. Export shipments were up six percent from the previous week.

Cotton cash prices were 1 cent lower than the previous week, closing at 612.13 cents per pound. May futures prices fell 1.77 cents last week to settle at 63.29 cents per pound. The USDA NASS Texas field office published noted for the reporting period of April 6-12 that field preparations for cotton were continuing in the Plains and West Texas. Five percent of cotton acreage has been planted. Net export cotton sales were 14.9 percent higher than the previous week’s sales. Shipments were down 54 percent from the previous week and 40 percent from the average.

Wheat cash prices lost 50 cents to close at $4.72 per bushel. Additionally, futures fell 50 cents to settle at $5.09 per bushel. The USDA NASS Texas field office reported that 22 percent of Texas wheat was in the heading stage. Eighty-eight percent of the Texas Winter Wheat crop remains in fair-to-excellent condition. Fifty-two percent of the wheat crop is in excellent or good condition. Net export sales for wheat were down 85 percent from the previous week and 80 percent from the prior four-week average. Shipments were two percent higher than the previous week but 10 percent lower than the average.

Texas corn prices were lower with cash prices up to $4.03 per bushel and futures prices rising 3 cents to $3.80 per bushel. The USDA NASS Texas field office reported that 22 percent of the planted Texas corn crop has emerged, up from eight percent at this point last year. Forty-six percent of Texas corn acreage has been planted, up nine percentage points from the previous week but down 11 percentage points from the same period last year. Corn export sales were down eight percent from the prior week but up 19 percent from the four-week average. Export shipments were 26 percent lower than last week and four percent lower than the average.

Warm temperatures and significant rainfall were experienced last week in much of East and Central Texas. Parts of South Texas received four or more inches of precipitation. Last week’s U.S. Drought Monitor for Texas showed a slight improvement in drought conditions for the state, with just over 47 percent of Texas in some stage of drought intensity, down nearly two percentage points from last week. Additionally, 24.7 percent of the state remains in severe, extreme or exceptional drought. On the national level, drought conditions improved slightly, with nearly 59 percent of the U.S. experiencing abnormal dryness or some degree of drought, down just over one percent from the previous week.

Additional information on agricultural weather, crop progress and agricultural markets can be found on the TDA Market News page. 

All cash prices above are market averages for locations covered by the USDA Market News program and do not reflect any particular sale at any specific location. Feeder cattle prices are for Texas direct sales of 650-850 pound medium and large No.1 steers for current delivery. Futures prices are quoted for the nearest month contract on the last trading day of the week. Timber prices are from the Texas A&M Forest Service, bimonthly “Texas Timber Price Trends.” MBF = thousand board feet. For additional information, contact TDA at (800) 835-5832 or visit our website, www.TexasAgriculture.gov.