The USDA’s latest Cattle Inventory report hints at the start of some contraction in the beef industry. University of Missouri livestock economist Scott Brown says looking at the regional shifts — Colorado, Kentucky, and Missouri showed the largest declines.
He tells Brownfield he expected to see a decline in Colorado. “I think the weather has played a role in a state like Colorado,” he says. “The next two, Missouri and Kentucky, with Missouri down nearly 50,000 head and Kentucky down nearly 40,000 head, those surprise me.
