Live and feeder cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange were stronger Wednesday, as rising beef prices underpinned the markets.
The February live cattle contract settled just short of the record high hit last Friday, up 1.125 cents per pound at 198.525 cents.
March feeder cattle futures held below the contract highs hit last week, ending 1.600 cents per pound higher at 269.800 cents per pound.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported wholesale boxed beef prices were mixed on Wednesday, with choice boxes up $1.160 from Tuesday at $334.14 per hundredweight and select boxes down $0.67 at $318.04.
Hog prices were narrowly mixed on the day, with the nearby February contract down 0.525 cents per pound at 83.125 cents.
