Livestock price insurance (LRP)

USDA's Livestock Risk Protection sets a price floor on feeder cattle, fed cattle and hogs. Here is what each coverage costs today after the USDA subsidy, a calculator for your own head count, and the screwworm and Mexico border status.

Screwworm and the Mexico cattle border

On August 24, 2026, USDA reopened the Douglas, AZ port to cattle imports from Mexico, guided by overlapping safeguards and a science-based import protocol jointly agreed upon between the United States and Mexico. The Douglas, AZ port reopening was the first in a phased reopening of Southern ports to livestock trade , contingent upon satisfactory progress on priority Action Plan milestones. After evaluating the success of the initial reopening and potential impacts or risk assessment changes, APHIS will then consider reopening the Santa Teresa, NM and Columbus, NM ports to live cattle, bison, and horses. The reopening timeline will remain flexible and may be adjusted based on Mexico’s progress in meeting Action Plan milestones and addressing critical issues.

Latest from USDA:

10/13/26: Texas Releases New World Screwworm Infested Zones
10/10/26: Texas Releases New World Screwworm Infested Zones
10/06/26: Texas Modifies New World Screwworm Infested Zone

USDA APHIS page updated October 14, 2026; we checked it Tuesday, Oct 20. Full status, maps and case counts. Text Alerts customers who follow cattle get a text when the border status changes.

What coverage costs today

Feeder steers 600-1,000 lb, ending Jan 18: 95% coverage at $323.00/cwt costs you about $3.54/cwt after the USDA subsidy (down $0.25 from last week; coverage price down $27.78 from a year ago).
Fed cattle, ending Jan 18: 95% coverage at $219.45/cwt costs you about $2.22/cwt after the USDA subsidy (down $0.12 from last week; coverage price down $13.08 from a year ago).
Hogs, ending Jan 18: 95% coverage at $64.31/cwt costs you about $1.43/cwt after the USDA subsidy (down $0.03 from last week; coverage price down $15.18 from a year ago).

Ends Feeder steers under 600 lb	Weeks	Expected price	Coverage (about 95%)	Your cost /cwt	Cost last week	Coverage a year ago
Monday, Jan 18	13	$374.01	$355.31 95%	$3.89	n/a	n/a
Monday, Feb 15	17	$371.42	$352.85 95%	$5.70	n/a	n/a
Monday, Mar 15	21	$369.44	$350.97 95%	$6.41	n/a	n/a
Monday, Apr 19	26	$368.39	$349.97 95%	$7.87	n/a	n/a
Monday, May 17	30	$366.70	$348.37 95%	$8.97	n/a	n/a
Monday, Jun 14	34	$366.80	$348.46 95%	$10.65	n/a	n/a
Monday, Jul 19	39	$367.24	$348.88 95%	$11.52	n/a	n/a
Monday, Aug 16	43	$367.39	$349.02 95%	$11.93	n/a	n/a
Monday, Sep 13	47	$365.24	$346.97 95%	$13.20	n/a	n/a
Monday, Oct 18	52	$361.95	$343.86 95%	$14.17	n/a	n/a

Prices for Monday, Oct 19. "Your cost" is the farmer-paid premium after the USDA subsidy. "Expected price" is USDA's expected ending value from futures. Prices are set nationally.

Ends Feeder steers 600-1,000 lb	Weeks	Expected price	Coverage (about 95%)	Your cost /cwt	Cost last week	Coverage a year ago
Monday, Jan 18	13	$340.00	$323.00 95%	$3.54	$3.79	$350.78
Monday, Feb 15	17	$337.66	$320.77 95%	$5.18	$5.44	$349.34
Monday, Mar 15	21	$335.86	$319.07 95%	$5.83	$6.22	$348.26
Monday, Apr 19	26	$334.90	$318.15 95%	$7.16	$7.52	$347.85
Monday, May 17	30	$333.36	$316.70 95%	$8.16	$8.47	$345.93
Monday, Jun 14	34	$333.45	$316.78 95%	$9.68	$9.48	$345.24
Monday, Jul 19	39	$333.85	$317.16 95%	$10.47	$10.31	$344.64
Monday, Aug 16	43	$333.99	$317.29 95%	$10.85	$10.72	$344.44
Monday, Sep 13	47	$332.03	$315.43 95%	$12.00	$12.03	$342.89
Monday, Oct 18	52	$329.05	$312.60 95%	$12.88	$13.00	$340.25

Prices for Monday, Oct 19. "Your cost" is the farmer-paid premium after the USDA subsidy. "Expected price" is USDA's expected ending value from futures. Prices are set nationally.

Ends Feeder heifers under 600 lb	Weeks	Expected price	Coverage (about 95%)	Your cost /cwt	Cost last week	Coverage a year ago
Monday, Jan 18	13	$340.00	$323.00 95%	$3.54	n/a	n/a
Monday, Feb 15	17	$337.66	$320.77 95%	$5.18	n/a	n/a
Monday, Mar 15	21	$335.86	$319.07 95%	$5.83	n/a	n/a
Monday, Apr 19	26	$334.90	$318.15 95%	$7.16	n/a	n/a
Monday, May 17	30	$333.36	$316.70 95%	$8.16	n/a	n/a
Monday, Jun 14	34	$333.45	$316.78 95%	$9.68	n/a	n/a
Monday, Jul 19	39	$333.85	$317.16 95%	$10.47	n/a	n/a
Monday, Aug 16	43	$333.99	$317.29 95%	$10.85	n/a	n/a
Monday, Sep 13	47	$332.03	$315.43 95%	$12.00	n/a	n/a
Monday, Oct 18	52	$329.05	$312.60 95%	$12.88	n/a	n/a

Prices for Monday, Oct 19. "Your cost" is the farmer-paid premium after the USDA subsidy. "Expected price" is USDA's expected ending value from futures. Prices are set nationally.

Ends Feeder heifers 600-1,000 lb	Weeks	Expected price	Coverage (about 95%)	Your cost /cwt	Cost last week	Coverage a year ago
Monday, Jan 18	13	$306.00	$290.70 95%	$3.18	n/a	n/a
Monday, Feb 15	17	$303.89	$288.70 95%	$4.66	n/a	n/a
Monday, Mar 15	21	$302.27	$287.16 95%	$5.24	n/a	n/a
Monday, Apr 19	26	$301.41	$286.34 95%	$6.44	n/a	n/a
Monday, May 17	30	$300.03	$285.03 95%	$7.34	n/a	n/a
Monday, Jun 14	34	$300.11	$285.10 95%	$8.72	n/a	n/a
Monday, Jul 19	39	$300.47	$285.44 95%	$9.42	n/a	n/a
Monday, Aug 16	43	$300.59	$285.56 95%	$9.76	n/a	n/a
Monday, Sep 13	47	$298.83	$283.89 95%	$10.80	n/a	n/a
Monday, Oct 18	52	$296.14	$281.34 95%	$11.59	n/a	n/a

Prices for Monday, Oct 19. "Your cost" is the farmer-paid premium after the USDA subsidy. "Expected price" is USDA's expected ending value from futures. Prices are set nationally.

Ends Fed cattle, Steers & Heifers	Weeks	Expected price	Coverage (about 95%)	Your cost /cwt	Cost last week	Coverage a year ago
Monday, Jan 18	13	$231.00	$219.45 95%	$2.22	$2.34	$232.53
Monday, Feb 15	17	$230.96	$219.41 95%	$3.04	$3.17	$232.98
Monday, Mar 15	21	$237.35	$225.48 95%	$3.56	$3.75	$233.13
Monday, Apr 19	26	$238.68	$226.75 95%	$4.45	$4.67	$233.26
Monday, May 17	30	$239.83	$227.84 95%	$4.79	$5.09	$230.88
Monday, Jun 14	34	$235.62	$223.84 95%	$5.30	$5.68	$227.17
Monday, Jul 19	39	$232.89	$221.25 95%	$5.57	$6.02	$225.35
Monday, Aug 16	43	$230.35	$218.84 95%	$6.03	$6.40	$223.34
Monday, Sep 13	47	$221.79	$210.71 95%	$5.99	$6.39	$222.87
Monday, Oct 18	52	$221.82	$210.73 95%	$6.97	$8.59	$222.31

Prices for Monday, Oct 19. "Your cost" is the farmer-paid premium after the USDA subsidy. "Expected price" is USDA's expected ending value from futures. Prices are set nationally.

Ends Hogs	Weeks	Expected price	Coverage (about 95%)	Your cost /cwt	Cost last week	Coverage a year ago
Monday, Jan 18	13	$67.69	$64.31 95%	$1.43	$1.46	$79.49
Monday, Feb 15	17	$68.91	$65.46 95%	$1.78	$1.44	$80.69
Monday, Mar 15	21	$71.29	$67.73 95%	$2.00	$2.01	$82.53
Monday, Apr 19	26	$74.86	$71.12 95%	$2.44	$1.90	$85.01
Monday, May 17	30	$80.78	$76.74 95%	$2.71	$2.05	$88.52

Prices for Monday, Oct 19. "Your cost" is the farmer-paid premium after the USDA subsidy. "Expected price" is USDA's expected ending value from futures. Prices are set nationally.

LRP cost calculator

Animals

Head

Weight at the end (lb/head)

Coverage ends

Coverage level

Price floor

-

Value covered

-

Head x weight x floor

Your total cost

-

Pays when the index ends below

-

Paid on the difference x your hundredweight

Estimate only, from USDA's published rates for Monday, Oct 19. The actual premium is set when an agent writes the policy. You can buy LRP through any crop insurance agent; prices change daily. Not advice to buy or not buy coverage.

What LRP does

You pick a price floor and an end date. If USDA's price index ends below your floor, the policy pays the difference times your hundredweight. If prices rise, you keep the higher price and the premium is your cost.

The subsidy

USDA pays part of the premium (more at lower coverage levels and for smaller groups), so "your cost" here is already after the subsidy. Premiums are due at the end of the coverage period.

Why screwworm matters

When the Mexico border is closed to cattle, fewer feeder cattle come north, which tends to lift U.S. feeder prices. A reopening adds supply. The border box above shows USDA's latest status.

Sources: USDA Risk Management Agency LRP daily reports (Iowa shown; coverage prices and rates are the same in every state) and USDA APHIS New World screwworm status. Updated each business day.