Live Cattle futures dropped for a second consecutive week.

Live Cattle futures and Feeder Cattle futures saw strong daily gains but marked their second consecutive week of lower weekly closes. June Live Cattle futures finished the week down $2.12, while August Feeder Cattle futures trimmed weekly losses to $3.90. The cash market reflected softer conditions, with the five-area average price for live steers dropping about $2.00 from recent weeks. Additionally, weekly cattle slaughter trailed the same period last year by 37,000 head. Export data presented a mixed picture across livestock markets. Beef exports surged 26% from the previous week to 15,100 metric tons, driven by demand from South Korea, Japan, and Mexico. Conversely, pork net sales plummeted to a marketing year low of 16,100 metric tons, a 57% drop week-over-week.