By Matthew Diersen, South Dakota State University
Beef cattle inventory levels have been expected to continue to remain low. Feed availability has been a limiting factor in recent years. Its attending cost has also limited profits for cow-calf producers. Heading into fall, there are a few signs of changing aggregate conditions that may allow for some expansion to begin. The largest change is probably on the range and pasture side where the latest conditions show much higher percentages in the continental U.S. in good or excellent compared to a year ago. There are also much lower percentages…