farmwriter
Well-known member
U.S. CATTLE HERD AT 36-YEAR LOW---The U.S. cattle herd was at a 36-year low in June and the number of cattle being fattened at feedlots was the smallest in 10 years, with the contraction expected to last until 2012, according to a USDA report issued Friday.
The herd is in the third year of reduction amid the recession, high grain prices and lingering concerns over the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the U.S. in 2003. The financial strain from high feed and fuel costs was compounded by parched pasture, especially in the southern Plains, a key cattle-producing and -feeding region.
USDA put the July 1 cattle on feed supply at 9.752 million head, down 5 percent from last year and the lowest July number in 10 years.
Reuters article <http://bit.ly/NMRuy>
The herd is in the third year of reduction amid the recession, high grain prices and lingering concerns over the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the U.S. in 2003. The financial strain from high feed and fuel costs was compounded by parched pasture, especially in the southern Plains, a key cattle-producing and -feeding region.
USDA put the July 1 cattle on feed supply at 9.752 million head, down 5 percent from last year and the lowest July number in 10 years.
Reuters article <http://bit.ly/NMRuy>