Drought
Since the beginning of the year, the national drought picture has dramatically improved, but there are still problem areas in parts of the central and southern Plains.
Lower feed costs, record meat prices and an easing drought point to expansion in the U.S. cattle industry.
The nation hasn’t seen such a small beef cow herd in decades. Now many producers who survived the recent drought are focused on rebuilding. The question is, how long will it take?
Drought is starting to recede in many of the top beef producing states.
Weather will dictate if the U.S. beef herd is rebuilt.
Drought has had a widespread impact on all areas of the beef industry. To stay in business, water is the name of the game.
Managing forage and water goes a long way toward profitability.
After a dispiriting stretch of years, many Texas ranchers are optimistic as drought, expensive feed and other conditions that decimated their cattle herds start to loosen their grip.
How much can I afford to pay for a bred female to restock after the drought?
If there are any lessons that can be learned from the past few years of sparse rainfall it’s that recovering from drought requires proper management.
Even in the depths of lingering drought, cattle producers have persevered. Hard choices have been made.
The planned use of meat from cattle treated with antibiotics because of an illness comes as U.S. beef production is projected to plunge to a 21-year low next year.
Even with USDA’s higher forecast of 2013 beef production, lower expected corn yields and higher prices continue to stem growth in the U.S. beef herd.
Changes in Mexican domestic beef consumption and beef trade have significant implications for the U.S. cattle industry in the coming years.
The drought has had lasting effects on farmers across the country. Here’s how three cattle producers have changed management practices to survive.
U.S. feedlots bought 0.5 percent fewer cattle in December compared with a year earlier, the government said.
Dwindling cattle supplies cited as cause for halting production at the Plainview, Texas, facility.
There’s interesting speculation about when and how the nation’s cowherd will start rebuilding.
Each year Pro Farmer usually picks an individual for their Ag Person of the Year, but this year they selected a group-- cattle producers.
While more optimistic, Texas ranchers remain extremely cautious when it comes to rebuilding herds and holding onto forage stocks.
Poor weather conditions have resulted in high feed costs and big financial losses, Purdue Extension agricultural economist Chris Hurt says.
Many are asking that during this drought, but if farmers wait to apply fertilizer until it rains, a major part of the benefit will be lost.
As the weeks continue to pass without any significant rain in the Midwest, it is getting increasingly difficult to find feed for livestock.
The assistance uses the Secretary of Agriculture’s existing authority to help create and encourage flexibility within four USDA programs.
Drought drives cattle Inventory down but consumer demand remains high.
Drought always presents a major challenge, but there are ways to get through it and survive another year.
Officially it’s still spring, but the Western half of the U.S. continues to struggle with drier weather, which is spreading into the Plains.
More than 1.113 million cattle were shipped out of Texas last year because of the historic drought.
There are indications that the worst of the 2011 drought-forced movements of cattle may be slowing down.
Lower beef production likely will keep calf prices high through at least 2015.