USDA will release its Cattle Inventory Report on Friday, February 1, at 2:00 p.m. CT. Following are pre-report expectations (as percent of year-ago):
Semiannual Cattle Inventory Report Expectations
| Avg. trade guess
| Range
|
| ||
All cattle & calves | 98.2
| 97.2-99.0
|
Annual calf crop | 97.9
| 97.4-98.8
|
Total Cows/heifers calved | 98.7
| 97.2-100.5
|
beef cows/heifers calved | 98.5
| 96.4-100.7
|
milk cows/heifers calved | 99.3
| 98.3-100.0
|
Heifers 500 lbs. and over | 98.0
| 96.5-99.0
|
Beef replacement heifers | 99.6
| 92.1-103.0
|
Milk replacement heifers | 99.2
| 97.8-100.3
|
Other heifers | 96.5
| 93.9-98.1
|
Steers 500 pounds and over | 97.8
| 97.4-98.4
|
Bulls 500 pounds and over | 97.3
| 95.0-99.5
|
Calves under 500 pounds | 97.5
| 97.3-97.7
|
Juli says: If the average pre-report trade guesses are on target, U.S. cattle inventories at 89.135 million head would be the smallest since 1952. Traders are watching and waiting on producers to begin holding back heifers, as it would reduce beef production and signal the start of herd rebuilding has begun. But due to ongoing drought conditions across the Plains, that has not yet begun.
