Cattle Inventory Numbers

Rick Worthington

Over the last year, the beef and cattle markets have experienced a few disruptions that impacted the markets in similar ways.

The first event was the shutdown of a Tyson packing plant in Kansas for approximately four months after a significant fire. The second event is the spread of COVID-19 throughout the U.S. and its resulting impact on consumer spending and the beef supply chain.

In addition to the economic analysis portion, the report also includes other considerations that delve into some of the solutions that have been discussed widely by industry in the aftermath of these events. The report notes that at the core of many of these discussions is the desire by many in the industry to see improved price discovery, reinvigorated competition and a more transparent relationship between the prices for cattle and their further processed products.