Soapweed
Well-known member
MY THOUGHTS ON THE CATTLE MARKET - Steve Moreland - October 10, 2020
A young friend gave me a point to ponder on Facebook messenger last evening. He asked me, "What are your thoughts on the cattle market?"
These ideas on the cattle market are roaming in my head. We have in the past two weeks sold four pot-loads of steer calves. On the positive side, our weights are about 25 pounds heavier than last year, and the price received has equated to about 40 dollars per head more than last year. The mothers of these calves have come up with respectable 95 percent pregnancy rates, despite this summer being abnormally dry compared to last summer being abnormally wet. On the negative side, our ranch is about out of grass for this season, and our hay supply is very scant. Getting through the upcoming winter with our cowherd (the geese that lay the golden eggs) will involve a lot of imagination and purchased feed. This will really be a problem if a hard winter with lots of snow happens to come along. Weather prognosticators shoot their bullets in the dark just as cattle market guessers do.
As for the future of the cattle market, and the cattle business in general, it is anybody's guess. Back in January of 2020, the economies of the United States and the rest of the world were sailing along at an all-time high. My instincts and overall feeling then was that cattle prices would be very good by the fall selling season. Two factors came into play that have completely upended the dynamics. The biggest impact of course was that of the COVID pandemic. The other influencing factor is the drought all across the western United States. Available grass, hay, and other cattle feed is in short supply
Cattle and other ruminant animals have all through the world's history played a vital part in feeding people. Ruminant animals graze in areas unsuitable for farming. They convert grass and forage into meat, which is a great source of protein for people. Without the animals turning grass into meat, much pasture-type terrain would go completely to waste and deteriorate.
This brings into play other factors that will affect the cattle business. Much of the mountainous areas of the western United States are suffering from mismanagement. Many of the enormous fires that are happening could have been prevented. There is a saying, "Graze it, log it, or watch it burn," that holds very true. So called "Global Warming," or "Climate Change," or whatever other monikers are attached don't have nearly the impact of fires starting as do the poor management of our forests and grasslands. Proper utilization of our God-given natural resources would prevent fires and provide valuable assets to society.
This invokes yet another consideration. We all hate to introduce politics into general conversation, but there is an important election coming up very soon. Do we want a common sense successful businessman leading our country, or do we want a lifelong failed career politician in charge? Do we want a president who likes to eat beef, even if he is guilty of putting ketchup on a perfectly good steak, or would we be more comfortable with a president who goes along with the liberal ideology of thinking cattle and "cow farts" are bad for the planet? Yes, it is easy to find fault with the personalities of the presidential contenders, but we need to examine the agendas of what their administrations hold in store for the destiny of the country. The upcoming November 3rd election will have a drastic impact on the future of cattle markets, the cattle business, and the well-being of our wonderful nation in general.
A young friend gave me a point to ponder on Facebook messenger last evening. He asked me, "What are your thoughts on the cattle market?"
These ideas on the cattle market are roaming in my head. We have in the past two weeks sold four pot-loads of steer calves. On the positive side, our weights are about 25 pounds heavier than last year, and the price received has equated to about 40 dollars per head more than last year. The mothers of these calves have come up with respectable 95 percent pregnancy rates, despite this summer being abnormally dry compared to last summer being abnormally wet. On the negative side, our ranch is about out of grass for this season, and our hay supply is very scant. Getting through the upcoming winter with our cowherd (the geese that lay the golden eggs) will involve a lot of imagination and purchased feed. This will really be a problem if a hard winter with lots of snow happens to come along. Weather prognosticators shoot their bullets in the dark just as cattle market guessers do.
As for the future of the cattle market, and the cattle business in general, it is anybody's guess. Back in January of 2020, the economies of the United States and the rest of the world were sailing along at an all-time high. My instincts and overall feeling then was that cattle prices would be very good by the fall selling season. Two factors came into play that have completely upended the dynamics. The biggest impact of course was that of the COVID pandemic. The other influencing factor is the drought all across the western United States. Available grass, hay, and other cattle feed is in short supply
Cattle and other ruminant animals have all through the world's history played a vital part in feeding people. Ruminant animals graze in areas unsuitable for farming. They convert grass and forage into meat, which is a great source of protein for people. Without the animals turning grass into meat, much pasture-type terrain would go completely to waste and deteriorate.
This brings into play other factors that will affect the cattle business. Much of the mountainous areas of the western United States are suffering from mismanagement. Many of the enormous fires that are happening could have been prevented. There is a saying, "Graze it, log it, or watch it burn," that holds very true. So called "Global Warming," or "Climate Change," or whatever other monikers are attached don't have nearly the impact of fires starting as do the poor management of our forests and grasslands. Proper utilization of our God-given natural resources would prevent fires and provide valuable assets to society.
This invokes yet another consideration. We all hate to introduce politics into general conversation, but there is an important election coming up very soon. Do we want a common sense successful businessman leading our country, or do we want a lifelong failed career politician in charge? Do we want a president who likes to eat beef, even if he is guilty of putting ketchup on a perfectly good steak, or would we be more comfortable with a president who goes along with the liberal ideology of thinking cattle and "cow farts" are bad for the planet? Yes, it is easy to find fault with the personalities of the presidential contenders, but we need to examine the agendas of what their administrations hold in store for the destiny of the country. The upcoming November 3rd election will have a drastic impact on the future of cattle markets, the cattle business, and the well-being of our wonderful nation in general.
