The U.S. beef cow herd reached its lowest level in decades this summer as prolonged drought conditions in major cattle producing regions led producers to aggressively cull their herds. The sharp reduction in beef cow numbers will tighten supplies for years to come, while consumer demand for beef has remained remarkably consistent despite elevated retail prices.
The contracting beef herd has led to higher dairy bull calf prices and may compel more dairy producers to leverage beef breed genetics in their reproduction programs and capture an additional revenue stream in the process, according…
