05/25/05 USDA closes border to some Mexican cattle

Marketline May 25, 2005 USDA announced late Tuesday it closed the U.S. border to cattle from the Mexican state of Durango due to inadequacies of that state's bovine tuberculosis program. The USDA says Durango is the third largest cattle exporting state in Mexico and cattle from that it make up 16.5 percent of all cattle imported to the U.S. from Mexico. Before that news cattle futures had closed mostly higher, a few Plains cattle sold on a dressed basis two to three dollars lower than last week and boxed beef was called steady. In the futures, June live cattle were down 15 cents at 84-45. Aug feeders up 62 at 111-05. June Class III milk unchanged at 13-55. Rain in Kansas and cooler temperatures ahead pressured wheat futures yesterday but contracts kept most of their big gains from Monday. Gary Hofer of Gary Hofer Commodities says it wasn't a turn around Tuesday, more of a take a pause for breathe. Hofer: "The rest of this pre-holiday week is up for grabs as to direction. Volatility is higher so many traders may be reluctant to press hard in either direction over the next couple of sessions. The trend is in question." On Tuesday Chicago July wheat was down 1 3/4 at 3-32. July corn down 3 1/4 at 2-21 1/4. Portland cash white wheat steady to two cents lower at mostly 3-92. New crop August 3-79. Club wheat 3-95. PNW HRW 11.5 percent protein lower at 4-18. Dark northern spring 14% protein lower at 5-10. Export barley 104 dollars a ton. I'm Bob Hoff and that's Marketline on the Northwest Ag Information Network. Now this.