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Livestock economist approaching 2025 with cautious optimism

A livestock economist is reminding cattle producers to have a risk management plan.

Don Close, with Terrain Ag says he’s bullish on cattle markets heading into 2025, but is also approaching the new year with some caution.

“When cattle prices get to all-time record levels, there’s just an added inherent risk or volatility in the market associated with it,” he says.

He tells Brownfield he’s concerned how New World screwworm could potentially impact cattle supplies moving forward.

“If we get past the current infection, we go six or eight months and then it surfaces again further north, in Mexico or even at the border, then the risk of the next shutdown would be way greater than the risk of this shutdown,” he says.

Close says he’s optimistic Mexico will contain the disease in the short term and expects new quarantine requirements once the border is reopened.

Brownfield interviewed Close at the Nebraska Cattlemen convention in Kearney, Nebraska.

AUDIO: Don Close, Terrain Ag