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MU Extension: strong cattle prices, feed supply create opportunity for Missouri herd expansion

An ag business specialist says the timing could be right for cattle producers in Missouri to start rebuilding cattle herds.

Wesley Tucker with University of Missouri Extension says with strong prices it can be a difficult decision for producers to hold back heifers.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve heard producers say I cannot afford to keep heifers at today’s price,” he says. “What they’re really saying is at today’s price, I don’t think those prices are going to last. This cattle cycle is not just being driven by supply. We’re also having really strong demand from consumers. And so prices may stay longer than previous cattle cycles.”

He tells Brownfield nearly 80 percent of the U.S. cattle herd impacted by drought, but Missouri producers should have enough feed to incentivize herd rebuilding.

“Missouri actually has an opportunity that some of the rest of the country doesn’t have to retain heifers at a time that the market is screaming, we want expansion.”

He says producers should start thinking about what their herds look like in the future, and focus on improving genetics.