CME Daily Livestock Report: Cattle numbers and beef production

The shrinking U.S. beef cow herd and resulting reductions in the annual calf crop are an item of concern to most industry analysts and participants. Fewer cows simply mean fewer people involved in the industry and that means fewer thinkers, fewer ideas, less political clout and a host of other bad things. But it doesn’t drive a commensurate reduction in beef output. They haven’t even had a huge negative impact on cattle slaughter. Those statements seem to be at odds, so what is going on? Click here to download the 8-3-12 CME Daily Livestock Report (pdf)