Some years ago, California stopped funding cattle-market reporting in that state. That's why you can never find any standardized market information coming from there.

Despite having more cattle than any other state, Texas will follow suit because of state budget shortfalls.

"Texas' Federal-State Livestock and Grain Market Reporting Service is now officially set to dissolve on Sept. 1 and producers will have to rely on hearsay and hand-picked representative sales on paid-for advertisements to get their market information," say Agricultural Marketing Service analysts.