WHAT DOES THE USDA CATTLE INVENTORY REPORT MEAN FOR COW/CALF PRODUCERS?
On the first day of February, USDA released its annual Cattle Inventory Report. This report is an all encompassing look at the total number of cattle in the U.S. as of January 1, from beef cows to dairy heifers to cattle in and outside of feedlots. Many industry analysts use this report to make their forecasts on the cattle market for the upcoming year(s). Due to the importance of this report, there is value in analyzing it and evaluating the impact that these numbers could have on cow/calf producers. The overall outcome of the report shows that the total number of cattle and calves in the U.S. on January 1 was 96.7 million head, down 1 percent from the 2001 figures. This number represents the sixth consecutive year of a decline in total cattle numbers and is 6.85 million head smaller than the total cattle numbers reported in 1996, which was the cycle peak. On the female side of the equation, the number of beef cows and heifers calved was down 1 percent over last year’s numbers to 33.1
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