Beef Prices

You may remember cattle rancher Chris Dally of Blackfoot recently told us: "The cattle market for us in 2015 was really good. It was unbelievable. We sold calves for more money than we ever have and I hope it's not that we ever will. I hope we see that again. 2015 has been good to us." When it comes to beef cattle prices, it's important to keep things in perspective according to CattleFax Market Analyst Lance Zimmerman. As the market begins to transition from record high levels, there's still opportunity for cow-calf producers who meet the growing demand for quality: " Every single expansion we went through in the 80's and 90's and the limited one we have in the 2000's came as demand was declining. This is the first time we have an opportunity to expand the beef covered in an increasing demand environment. It's really the first time since the 70's. We are going through a transition where the cow herd is responding. The cow herd is growing to these price signals and it is going to continue to grow. We know that those margins are going to contract at the cow calf segment but they are going to grow at the retail end." Zimmerman was a featured speaker in the recent Angus University educational series during the National Angus Convention and Trade Show. Visit the Newsroom at angusconvention.com to learn more.