Probably the most frequently asked question I am getting relates to how much the drought is adding to herd liquidation in 2021. It’s a difficult question for several reasons.

The USDA announced in early August that two new reports, published in USDA Market News and based on Livestock Mandatory Reporting data, will provide additional insight into formula cattle trades and help promote fair and competitive markets.

The federally inspected slaughter for June was strong, exceeding the three previous years. More heifers and cows were in the slaughter mix in June, causing the average carcass weight to drop below the previous month’s expectations.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced that Beatty Canyon Ranch (BCR) in Kim, Colorado, is the national winner of the 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP).

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the beef checkoff, has announced the winners of its 2021 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards, sponsored by Cargill.

It's no secret that much of the U.S., especially the western states, is experiencing severe drought conditions. Weather experts and many other professionals in the agricultural industry have seen this dry spell coming for some time, and have consequently urged producers to have a drought managment plan in place before it becomes necessary to enact one. 

The July USDA Cattle on Feed report shows July feedlot inventories of 11.29 million head, down 1.3% from last year and down 1.7% compared to 2019.