Agricultural News
Cow Herd Liquidation Slowed in 2012 Despite Continued Drought
Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:08:36 CDT
In 2011 tremendous number of calves and cows that went to town in Oklahoma and across the Southern Plains due to the severe drought. As drought conditions continued into 2012, Extension Livestock Marketing Economist Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State University said herd liquidation slowed somewhat.
"Part of it is just a function of the drought last year. Even though it was a big area, it was a very confined region in the Southern Plains, but it happened overlay such a big percentage of our total cattle supplies. And the nature of the drought in 2011 was very different.
"We had no spring. The drought really started, obviously, in the fall of 2010 and extended consistently through the fall of 2011 and, so, the impacts on forage production and the impacts on what producers had to do in terms of culling cattle and moving cattle were much more dramatic.
"2012, by contrast, we had a bit of a spring. It was in a much bigger geographic area as far as being the entire middle of the country, if you will, but we had more forage to start with. We had more hay to start with."
Peel said there weren't nearly as many forced cattle movements or liquidations in the wider drought area this year, but that may change as forage stocks go down and feed costs increase in the Northern Plains.
This is the second of several Beef Buzz shows that will feature Dr. Peel and his comments about the beef and cattle markets. If you want to hear our complete conversation with Dr. Peel now, click here for our Ag Perspectives Podcast with Dr. Derrell Peel.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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