OCR Text |
Show AfliCM' MJOHToSlki ' Los A.-jtccs, January 17, 1933. j There :.p!.t.a:s to be a distinctly bet- ter Ui-aiertone in the cattle market. I Although actual improvement in val-1 ues has not be.-n great so far this ; year close students of the trade are of the opinion that the next few weeks may witness substantial gains, espec- j ially in the case of steers. Cows have been selling very close to steer prices, , much closer than might normally be expected. j Those who are looking for better prices point to the fact that feeilluts within normal shipping distance to Los Angeles are pretty well drained, which means that Los Angeles packers pack-ers must go farther east for addition-1 al supplies. The Intermountain country coun-try may be expected to continue to ship fair numbers of cattle to the Pacific Pa-cific Coast, although it is generally admitted that supplies are smaller than normal, in the face of increased slaughter and beef consumption. At present, cows and heifers are selling at prices relatively higher than at Missouri River markets, giving giv-ing Nebraska, Colorado and Texas cattlemen a relatively higher market for their she sJ;ock than could be had by shipping to the Missouri Ri'er market. Now the country normally shipping to Los Angeles is running short on steers, and, in the opinion of trade observers, competition for supplies sup-plies may tend to strengthen steer values. Thei'e also has been some substantial substan-tial strengthening of fat lamb values, with prices at this time the highest in several months. The Intermountain country fed fewer lambs this season than normally, and Pacific Coast packers have been forced to raise their bids in order to obtain supplies. Hog prices also have gained since January 1st, both at Missouri River points and on the Pacific Coast. Due to extremely low price levels, a greater great-er tonnage of pork is going directly into fresh meat channels than usual. Pork at prevailing prices represents a very low priced and popular food. As long as grain values remain as low as they are in the Corn Belt, it is not considered likely than any great reduction re-duction in numbers of hogs will take place. Even at the low prices now prevailing, hog fattening oilers a profitable pro-fitable outlet for corn on the middle western farm. |