Drought conditions have an impact on all areas of agriculture, and that is especially true for cattle. Researchers at Oklahoma State University are studying how droughts impact the cattle cycle.
They are examining calving data from 2011 to 2013, a period marked by severe drought. During those years, the beef cattle herd size declined by 2.5 percent, leading to high prices. The herd size rose by 2018 but fell again in 2021 when drought conditions returned.
Researchers say it is important to keep this in mind when talking about drought because there are always more implications than what meets the eye.
