A 41 percent decline in cattle prices be­­tween 2014 and 2016 created a heightened concern about market volatility. That’s launched more conversations among cattlemen about improving price discovery, an important tool in determining the real value of a market animal.

In Iowa, about 50 to 60 percent of fed cattle are sold through cash negotiations, according to Ed Greiman, a cattle feeder near Garner and a past president of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

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