Beef prices rising as cattle herds hit historic low; red meat demand steady

Beef prices rising as cattle herds hit historic low; red meat demand steady

Dr. Derrell Peel: Is Herd Rebuilding Happening…and Where? - Oklahoma Farm Report

Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Dr. Peel discusses herd rebuilding. The January 1, 2025, beef cow inventory was 27.86 million head, down 0.5 percent from the previous year.  Was 2025 the smallest cow her…

Meat Processors Being Caught in Buy-Sell Margin Challenge - Southern Farm Network

The US cattle herd contraction has been well documented, and the resulting prices for producers are welcome, but there are issues farther down the chain. Oklahoma State University Ag Economics Professor Dr. Darrell Peel told a webinar audience last week the beef industry in the US is cyclical and has been for 150 years. But in 2025… “We’ve had exaggeration of those normal seasonal tendencies because of drought issues in the beef industry and so …