THE PROTEIN PULSE — DRIVE TIME Wednesday Watchlist | November 4th, 2026
Protein Pulse Podcast · Nov 4, 2026 · 1:37
Protein Pulse Podcast · Nov 4, 2026 · 1:37
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HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Wednesday Watchlist, November 4th. From The Sparks Group.
SHAWN: Washington doesn't move cattle, but the decisions made there can certainly move markets. These midterm elections have real implications for our industry, from Farm Bill funding and packer oversight to trade policy, tariffs, and beef imports. With cattle supplies tight and beef prices already testing consumers, the next Congress will face some tough decisions. Protecting American producers while keeping beef affordable isn't an easy balancing act. And every policy decision has consequences somewhere along the supply chain. My take? I'm less concerned about which party controls Congress than what their policies mean for cattle availability, processor margins, and protein costs. Political headlines come and go. Supply, demand, and sound procurement decisions are what ultimately drive this business. That's where my focus stays.
HOST: Choice grade cutout at three sixty-five twenty-three, up nineteen cents. Pork cutout at seventy-two forty-three. Fresh eighty-fives at three oh nine, up twenty-seven eighty-one. Fresh fifties at eighty-one, down two sixty-three. West Texas Crude at ninety-six oh nine. Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel at four fifty-three.
SHAWN: Arizona's latest screwworm detections were in a dog and a horse, not cattle. Procurement plans need cattle that can clear inspection, cuts customers will buy and product that can reach the dock. Stay disciplined.
HOST: Protein Pulse Drive Time. Shawn Sparks, The Sparks Group.
SHAWN: Stay disciplined.
Episodes: Protein Pulse Podcast
