9-16 IAN Beef Forecast

 The long-term prognosis for cattlemen and raising beef in Idaho is good, or no? I am very positive about the long-term outlook. We would certainly like to see cattle get harvested closer to the state of Idaho, within our boundaries, would make it a lot more lucrative for Idaho cattle producers. Right now the freight on those cattle to have them harvested is astronomical because we have to go out of our state boundaries in order to be processed. We produce some of the best beef in the United States and in the world right here in Idaho and we have to ship them a long ways to get them harvested and get them on the table. But optimistic? We are optimistic because the United States domestic cattle herd has shrunk so much. There is just no cattle out there. The supply has been reduced and the demand is still there. The demand is growing from these export markets like Mexico. This makes it optimistic as we go into the future.  Texas, because of the drought, has been shrinking their cattle herd because they have had nothing to feed them. Here in Idaho we have taken advantage of our cold wet spring and we have actually expanded our herd so things are good.