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Peel: cattle herd may stay low into 2026

An ag economist says it will be January before more details are known about what’s happening with the U.S. cattle herd.

The size of the U.S. cattle herd remains at its lowest point in 75 years.

“We’ll see when we get the next January 1 numbers whether we actually stabilize the herd at the current levels,” says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension. “And we might be at this low level for a year or two. But then if we do start saving heifers, that means we’re going to get even tighter.”

There’s some heifer retention happening now, but it’s not widespread.

“Producers are still trying to heal up their their pastures, heal up their grasses, and heal up their finances to get ready for what comes next.”

Peel says the cattle markets remain fundamentally bullish, despite the recent political headlines.

“There’s nothing that can change that going forward. There’s no instant relief for cattle numbers, beef supplies or beef prices for, you know, two to four years minimum. And that assumes we are starting something here before long.”

Brownfield interviewed Peel at the Missouri Governor’s Ag Conference in mid-Missouri.