Nat'l Farm Safety & Health Week and Beef Cow Inventory Lowest in 60 Years
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**For the 80th time, the U.S. will be holding National Farm Safety and Health Week the third week of September, the 15-21.
Farm Safety and Health Week is a time to increase awareness of the high injury and fatality risk in agriculture and to improve outcomes through outreach and education.
2022 data shows the ag, forestry, and fishing industries had the highest rate of work-related fatalities at 23.5 deaths per 100,000 workers.
**U.S. sales of four-wheel-drive tractors increased 18.6% in
July compared to the year before and, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, are up 5.2% this year.
Total sales of ag tractors dropped 14% in July compared to 2023 and are down 12% year-to-date.
Combine sales dipped 19% compared to 2023 and are 17.6% lower so far this year.
In Canada, July sales of four-wheel-drive tractors increased 88%, 17% this year.
**The U.S. beef cow inventory has fallen to its lowest level in more than 60 years.
With no significant changes on the horizon, rebuilding the U.S. beef cow herd to historical norms is shaping up to be a years-long undertaking.
According to a new research brief from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange, current market conditions are incentivizing cow-calf producers to sell heifer calves rather than retain them for future breeding purposes.
