Extension Agribusiness Blog

2025 SC Livestock Market Summary – 1st Quarter

Steer and heifer prices continue to climb higher in 2025 with all steer weight classes breaking$300/cwt in at least one week over the last quarter. Average prices for the quarter were$324.95 for 4-weights, $283.04/cwt for 5-weights, and 262.00/cwt for 6-weights. Heifer prices also climbed higher with all weight classes reporting over $215/cwt every week. Prices for 4-weight steers saw the greatest change in prices over the period with one week closing at$257.26/cwt and finishing at the end of March at $351.19/cwt, a difference of $93.93. Prices for 4-weight heifers and 6-weight steers also saw large swings in prices with differences between highest and lowest priced weeks of $62.21 and $59.74, respectively.

Thankfully, and as expected, steer and heifer basis stayed relatively steady through Q1. Lighter steers showed more positive basis this year compared to last with an average basis for the quarter of $51.46/cwt for the 4-weight steers. Heavier weight steers showed a less favorable basis compared to last year with the 5-weights showing $9.55/cwt compared to $38.23/cwt in2024. Compared to last year, heifer basis showed signs of strengthening in early March where as this year, only in the last couple weeks of the quarter was any notable increases in basis observed.

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2024 Q4 SC Livestock Market Summary

As 2024 comes to a close, feeder prices remain high, with steer prices across all weight classes above $200/cwt. Feeder heifer prices also remain strong with 4-weight heifers maintaining prices above $200/cwt. Both feeder steers and heifers saw price increases in the last 6 weeks of 2024 to end the year on a high note. All feeder price series ended 2024 at a higher price than observed at the start of January 2024.

As steer prices rose over the month of December, the basis also strengthened with a positive basis for 4-weight steers recorded starting in mid-November. Basis for 4-weight steers averaged$4.17/cwt in Q4, an increase of $13.58/cwt from Q4 basis in 2023. Basis for other steer weight classes did not fare as well with an average basis of -$12.94 for 5-weights and -$29.22 for 6-weights, a decline of -$1.04/cwt and -$3.43/cwt from the 2023 Q4 average respectively.

Lighter weight heifer basis was stronger in Q4 in 2024 compared to Q4 in 2023. Average basis for 4 and 5-weight heifers in Q4 of 2024 were -$28.66 and -$38.44. While negative, these average basis values were an increase of $6.71/cwt and $1.85/cwt over the 2023 Q4 averages.Heavy 6-weight heifer average basis over this quarter was -$52.96, a weaker basis compared toQ4 2023 of -$5.19.

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What Cuts the Premium?

Long held tradition (and fact) states that feeder bulls will be discounted to feeder steers, obvious reasons.  Does this always occur and is it consistent?  It depends.  View Article >>