Page 3 - MWC 02-25-2021s

The Midwest Cattleman · February 25, 2021 · P3

February 25, 2021 Volume 27 No. 2

FEEDER SUPPLY FACTS 2020 COW SLAUGHTER AND 2021
By Derrell Peel - Oklahoma State University INVENTORY EXPECTATIONS

USDA’s Cattle inventory re- By Dr. Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky
port provides lots of information Cattle slaughter got a lot of at- considered as a whole, I want
but does not answer one import- tention in 2020 as the sector raced to focus this discussion on cow
ant question: What is the inven- to deal with labor challenges in slaughter for three reasons. First,
tory of feeder cattle available to the spring that greatly impacted cow slaughter was not impact-
be placed in feedlots for finish- processing volumes. At its lowest ed the same as steer and heifer
ing? point, federally inspected cat- slaughter during the pandemic.
We calculate an estimate of tle slaughter was down by more Secondly, cull cow prices were
the supply of feeder cattle by than one-third from 2019. But relatively strong last year, which
summing the reported inven- the processing industry showed a created additional incentive
tories of steers (over 500 lbs.), lot of resiliency through summer for culling. And third, 2020 cow
other (non-breeding) heifers the reported inventory of cattle as slaughter levels picked back slaughter volumes impact beef
(over 500 lbs.) and calves (under on feed. The resulting value is up, despite the challenges the cow numbers in 2021.
500 lbs.) and then subtracting an estimate of weaned feed- pandemic created. The beef cow slaughter chart

continued on page 10 While cattle slaughter is often continued on page 15
USDA’S ACTION ON RFID TAGS
NUTRITION TRENDS FOR 2021 AND BEYOND CHALLENGED IN COURT
PANDEMIC, INCREASED KNOWLEDGE LEAD TO CHANGES IN R-CALF and NCLA seek injunction from court barring APHIS
PERCEPTIONS OF FOOD, NUTRITION. from using advice and work from advisory committees.
By Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension By Jacqui Fatka
The pandemic and other factors With unprecedented access to In a Wyoming federal district
in 2020 have not only changed the research-based information, as court, Harriet Hageman, senior
way consumers relate to food, but well as new technological tools, litigation counsel for the New
also how they evaluate their food consumers are better under- Civil Liberties Alliance, filed an
choices and perceive nutrition in standing the connection between opening brief related to R-CALF
general. nutrition and wellness, leading to USA's Federal Advisory Commit-
greater personalization of their tee Act lawsuit against the USDA
diets. regarding its mandate of radio
According to Texas A&M frequency identification eartags.
AgriLife experts, these and other In addition to R-CALF USA, Wy- agency, APHIS, failed to comply
trends in nutrition will continue oming ranchers Tracy and Donna with FACA’s statutory require-
through 2021 and beyond. Hunt and South Dakota ranchers ments in establishing and using
Kenny and Roxy Fox are plain- the two advisory committees to
continued on page 12 tiffs in the case. gather information necessary to
USDA and the Animal and implement RFID eartags.
Plant Health Inspection Service In April 2019, APHIS issued a
set up two advisory commit- mandate to U.S. cattle producers
BEEF COW NUMBERS LOWER TO BEGIN 2021 tees to assist their RFID efforts, to RFID eartags on all adult cat-
Cattle have shifted away from drought states the Cattle Traceability Working tle moved interstate beginning
to greener pastures. Group and the Producer Trace- January 2023. The mandate in-
By Scott Brown ability Council. As filed by the cluded a requirement that cattle
The annual USDA Cattle In- New Civil Liberties Alliance in producers register their premises
ventory report confirmed the the U.S. District Court for the with the government.
expectations of most analysts District of Wyoming, the plaintiffs R-CALF USA and the other
— a decline in national beef cow argue that USDA and its sub- continued on page 16
numbers for the second consecu-
tive year.
At a little over 31 million head,
beef cow numbers have dropped Coming Sales-38
by 533,000 head (−1.7%) from Life is Simple-5
the recent cyclical peak at the States with cow decline Market Report-8
beginning of 2019. Even after With cow-calf returns strug-
two years of declines, the beef gling due to the lowest cattle Agribusiness
cow herd size remains near that prices in about a decade in 2020, Directory-36
of 2017 and larger than every the big story regarding beef cow
year from 2011 to 2016.
continued on page 10