Livestock Market Expert Looks for High Cattle Prices to Continue

Cattle prices are a big topic this week at CattleCon26 in Nashville.

One of this year's attendees was Oklahoma State University livestock market expert Darrell Peel who talks about the current cattle cycle and the latest cattle inventory report and if cow/calf producers can expect these prices to continue for the foreseeable future.

To recap, last Friday’s data showed the U.S. cattle inventory at 86.2 million head on January 1, 2026-now the smallest level in 75 years. The beef cow herd total was 27.6 million head, down by one percent. The number of milk cows in the U.S. increased 2% to 9.57 million.

Source: Ag Information Network/Western Ag Network