Drought residue

[sw363535]

Feedlots, Meat Packers Closing Due To Shortage Of Cattle 02/24/2013

Years of drought are reshaping the beef industry as feedlots and a major meatpacking plant close because there are too few cattle left to supply them. Some feedlots in major cattle-producing states have been dismantled, and others are sitting empty. Operators say they don't expect a recovery anytime soon, with high feed prices, much of the country in drought and a long time needed to rebuild herds. c Amarillo broker **bleep** Bretz says most of the bad news is in Texas. That is where there are the most empty feedlots, the most interest in selling and the least interest in buying. Most experts estimate the cattle feeding industry now has an excess capacity of 20 to 25 percent.

© Associated Press

[ncil]

This is most certainly a concern. But Beef is my fovorite and i plan on eating it. I think demand may lessen due to price, but it simply costs more to produce beef compared to chicken or pork. The cheese burger is not going away any time soon. Food will will not be artifically cheap going forward.

[ray h.]

    My advice is for any one interested in beef production would be to invest as much as possible into your own feed source,and cull at an productive rate,to slip into the most cost effective future!

[Shaggy98]

Way ahead of you Ray.  I'm planning a few acres of oat hay this year, and also I'm switching a few of my grain sorghum fields to forage sorghum.  Going to get a small feed pile built up before I buy a few head.  I like to place the horse in front of the cart.

FWIW, I will pay a lot more for beef before I change my ration to pork or chicken.  Don't misunderstand me, we eat white meat too, but beef is probably 5 nights a week.