Public pays the price as more cattle ranchers leave the business
Tyrel Linkhorn
Columbus Dispatch
Try not to have a cow, but high beef prices are likely here to stay for a while.
Smaller U.S. cattle herds and increasing feed and fuel costs have pushed some cattle producers out of the business the past several years. Last year’s extreme drought in the cattle cradle of the Southwest prompted many ranchers to liquidate herds they couldn’t afford to feed. Meanwhile, the export market for U.S. beef remains strong.
