Beef production from cattle and calves dropped 1% in 2022 to 45.7 billion pounds, while total production from cattle, calves, hogs and pigs jumped up to 86.3 billion pounds.

The forecast for first-quarter beef production is lowered 25 million pounds, based on USDA Agricultural Marketing Service reports of federally inspected livestock slaughter, showing a slower pace of fed cattle slaughter and lower aggregate carcass weights than expected last month.

Policymakers need to understand the role multi-plant coordination plays in the fed cattle market as they consider policies aimed at increasing negotiated trade with the hope of improving price discovery.

The forecast for first-quarter beef production was raised 15 million pounds based on a faster expected pace of cow slaughter in the latter part of the quarter that will more than offset less bull slaughter and lower aggregate carcass weights.

Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry confirmed a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on Feb. 22, triggering an automatic ban on beef exports to China.

There will be producers who have feed resources and believe profits are to be had in 2023 and 2024. The quickest way for these producers to increase the feeder cattle supply is through the addition of bred cows or bred heifers.

The total number of all cattle and calves on Jan. 1, 2023, was estimated at 89.3 million head, about 2.8 million fewer than the previous year. This marks the fourth year of contraction for aggregate beef and dairy cattle inventories, in the ninth year of the current cattle cycle – the cyclical expansion and contraction of the national cattle herd over time.

Progressive Cattle editors sit down with guests at the 2023 NCBA Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans.

The latest USDA Cattle Inventory report, released on Jan. 31, confirmed another year of contraction in the beef cattle industry.