Boxed beef eased across the board (Choice −$3.31/cwt to $375.62) and pork was lower again, led by bellies, as hams posted a fourth straight lower session.
Moved: up
- Beef cutout: Choice $375.62/cwt (−$3.31, about 3¢/lb) · Select $354.21 (−$2.13, about 2¢/lb) · Choice/Select spread narrowed to $21.41 (from $22.59). Down day overall; the gains were in a few cuts.
- Beef primals up: Choice flank $164.00 (+$1.80) was the only Choice primal higher. Select chuck rose $6.53 to $337.68 and Select brisket $2.61 to $308.36.
- Beef cuts up (Choice, ≥20,000 lb traded): Flank steak (193) $697.31 (+$65.96, about 66¢/lb, 21,610 lb) · Short rib (123A) $738.39 (+$31.54, about 32¢/lb, 21,781 lb) · Top inside round, cap off (169A) $537.61 (+$20.31, about 20¢/lb, 41,150 lb) · 0x1 strip loin (180) $973.53 (+$8.95, about 9¢/lb, 79,195 lb).
- Pork: Butt was the only primal higher. Boneless CC strap-on loins and 3-muscle hams firmed.
Flat / soft
- Choice primals lower: chuck $330.94 (−$4.89) · loin $463.15 (−$4.76) · plate $236.08 (−$3.91) · rib $671.90 (−$2.40) · brisket $293.61 (−$1.58) · round $294.56 (−$1.25). Select rib fell $15.27 to $544.39.
- Beef cuts lower on heavy volume: Chuck roll (116A) $579.72 (−$16.66, about 17¢/lb) on 284,932 lb · Top inside round (168) $376.26 (−$15.03, about 15¢/lb) on 179,827 lb · Bottom sirloin flap (185A) $727.60 (−$42.14, about 42¢/lb) on 57,721 lb · Top blade (114D) $577.89 (−$26.30) on 65,600 lb. Boneless top butt (184) printed $498.08 on 242,130 lb. Tuesday’s print was thin, so vs Monday’s $511.32 that’s −$13.24 (about 13¢/lb).
- Steady middle meats: Choice heavy tenderloin (189A) $1,632.34 (−$2.42) on a big 334,454 lb, basically flat. Deckle-off brisket (120) $420.20 (+5¢/cwt) on 382,019 lb, flat. Heavy ribeye (112A) traded only 11,925 lb, too thin to call.
- Pork soft spots: the carcass value was lower. Belly led the primals down, followed by ham, picnic, rib and loin. Derind bellies, frozen St. Louis spareribs and bone-in sirloins also traded lower. We show pork as a weekly trend of completed weeks in USDA cutout history.
- Ground beef & trim: 81% $344.19 (+$1.63, 288,278 lb) · 73% $254.57 (+$7.75) · 85% $426.75 (+$8.03) · 93% $523.54 (flat) · fresh 50s $87.48 (−$4.38) on 271,082 lb.
- Volume: normal. 75.99 Choice loads (vs 84.05 Tuesday) and 309.25 pork loads (vs 305.33).
Holiday / seasonal buy note
Hams keep getting cheaper with Thanksgiving seven weeks out (Thu Nov 26). The USDA ham primal has fallen four sessions in a row since 10/1. 23–27# trimmed selected hams are also lower than on 10/1, on 1.94M lb. If you book Thanksgiving or December hams, it’s worth pricing them now and watching the next few sessions. Turkey isn’t in these reports, so we’re not calling it.
USA Meats boards snapshot
Public boards on usameats.com, refreshed at publish (Oct 8, 2026). Live prices are on each board.
- Deals (#deals): Featured: Frozen Beef Hind Shank, sold by the pallet, limited to one load, delivering end of October. Next week’s fresh chicken by the full pallet, with Halal options, runs through Oct 16; jumbo chicken full loads through Oct 11; seafood deals through Oct 16; plus skirt steak programs.
- Poultry (#poultry-prices): the weekly list for Oct 12–16 is up, delivered, full pallets, 5-pallet minimum. 25 items, including whole fryers, WOGs, boneless breast, tenders, leg quarters, thighs, wings and jumbo items.
- Pork (#pork-prices): fresh cryovac primals by the full pallet (carcass cutout, loin, butt, picnic, spare rib, ham, belly), with delivered pricing to your state in the landed-cost calculator or from sales.
- Trim & Grind (#trim-grind): frozen beef trim available now in 90CL (tested), 85CL and 81CL (tested and untested), plus 65CL.
- Seafood (#seafood-prices): raw shrimp from 13/15 down to 90/130, cooked shrimp (41/50 and 60/90) and 5/7 oz tilapia fillets in stock. 20/30 head-on shell-on is low.
- Mexican meats (#mexican-prices): the October 2026 monthly list is up, 46 beef items, boxed.
What to do with this
Ready to price a load? Request a quote or a full pallet, and see every brief in USA Meats Intelligence.
Live boards: Deals · Poultry · Pork · Trim & Grind · Seafood · Mexican meats