There is still a long way to go before the cattle herd starts heading in a positive direction but analyst Lance Zimmerman with Rabo AgriFinance says there are several encouraging signs.
“I would imagine because we do have some of that incentive out there to try and rebuild these herds. We’ve had good rain in certain areas. We’ve rebuilt hay supplies in some areas where it was awfully tight through the central plains this past year. We’ll start to see that number bottoming out earlier than the beef cow number, but we still have a ways to go before we see it trending strongly in a positive direction.”
Zimmerman says he expects the next round of calves to be very high quality and will help grow demand moving forward.
Bipartisan momentum builds, but final farm policy remains unsettled.
March 05, 2026 10:14 AM
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Heavy cattle weights are cushioning beef supplies despite shrinking herd numbers.
March 04, 2026 11:36 AM
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Farm bill negotiations remain unsettled, leaving producers waiting for updated federal support programs.
March 04, 2026 10:24 AM
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Strong cattle markets are masking ongoing financial stress across crop agriculture.
March 04, 2026 08:00 AM
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Purdue University’s Dr. Michael Langemeier discusses the survey’s findings in February and broader signals in the months ahead.
March 03, 2026 02:38 PM
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Roger McEowen of Washburn University School of Law joined us to discuss key legal and tax issues ranchers should consider as they recover from recent prairie fires across the Southern Plains.
March 03, 2026 01:06 PM
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