Chris Hurt Beef Quotations

Beef producers continued to expand the breeding herd for the second year. Beef cow numbers increased by 1 percent during 2005 after a small rise in 2004. The total number of cows increased by 338,000 head and the increase was concentrated in the western Corn Belt, where Missouri increased by 115,000 cows and Iowa by 40,000.

There are two concerns in U.S. cattle markets. First, there?s the concern that we would lose beef exports.

The current expansion is expected to extend until around 2010, with the largest beef production on this cycle coming in 2010 to 2012. This likely means several more years of favorable prices as cow slaughter remains low and heifer retention high.

Much like the beef herd, heifer retention for herd replacements was up 4 percent and will allow an increase in the number of milk cows by nearly 1 percent this year.

For Illinois, current cow numbers are 20,000 larger than those of three years ago and Ohio has added 37,000 cows in the last three years. Indiana, however, has seen beef cow numbers decrease.