Dairy Week In Review

The latest USDA numbers show total cattle inventories dropping another 2 percent in 2023 to 87.2 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of Jan. 1, 2024. As lingering drought continues to affect key beef regions in the US, the number of beef cows are down to 28.2 million head nationwide, also down 2 percent from a year ago. The U.S. calf crop was estimated at 33.6 million head, down 2 percent from the beginning of 2023, with the US beef herd is now at its smallest level since 1961.

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