Pre-report trade estimates suggested further declines were on tap for the U.S. cattle sector, a reality that was confirmed in USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) numbers released today in the highly anticipated “Cattle” report. NASS numbers revealed all cattle and calves in the U.S. as of January 1, 2024, totaled 87.2 million head, 2% below the 88.8 million head on January 1, 2023. This is the smallest inventory since 1951.
Travis Averill, livestock branch chief at USDA NASS, relayed that 34 States showed year-over-year inventory declines.
Beef cows, at 28.2 million…
