Missouri Ag Intelligence Brief

Cattle collateral at cycle highs. Grain margins under pressure.

Feeder cattle futures printed fresh contract highs this week. For lenders with livestock-secured portfolios, collateral coverage is the strongest since 2014. Borrower repayment capacity on cow-calf operations is solid. On the crop side, corn at $4.47 is below full-cost breakeven for most central MO producers on rented ground. Borrowers who did not forward-contract face tight cash flow heading into planting. Pre-plant borrower reviews should focus on pricing discipline, input cost exposure, and crop insurance coverage confirmation.