Better than anticipated cow-calf returns in 2017

Higher prices have pulled estimated cow-calf returns for 2017 out of the red. Cattle prices during the fourth quarter of 2017 were significantly stronger than expected. Higher prices caused 2017’s calculated cow-calf return over cash costs plus pasture rent to be revised up. In fact, earlier in 2017, the forecast was for returns to be negative, but they actually will be positive. The Nov. 10 Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) trend report talks better than anticipated returns. Read more…