The volatility that cattle farmers have experienced in the marketplace over the past year makes the case for planning and locking in margins, said Nevil Speer, vice president for U.S. operations at AgriClear, an online platform that al­­lows members to buy and sell cattle across the United States and Canada.

"Just about a year ago …, the world was good, and the market was working in our favor," Speer told cattlemen at the Iowa...