US cattle imports from Mexico seen to drop by 29 percent

The US projects that feeder cattle imports from Mexico will drop by around 29 percent this year to 750,000 head from the 10-year average of 1.06 million head.

The decline in the feeder cattle imports from Mexico is and will continue to have an impact of the available of supple of feeder cattle in the US, particularly in the Southern Plains, market observers said.

As of the week ending August 2, year-to-date US imports of feeder cattle from Mexico were estimated at just fewer than 390 thousand head. 

Last year by this time, the US had imported nearly 585 thousand head and nearly 716 thousand head were imported during the first seven-months of 2006.