Cattle & Livestock
Expanding a Cow/Calf Operation Takes Some New Tactics
Cattlemen are rapidly rebuilding the nation’s cow herd and when the job’s done the finished product may look a little different than prior to the drought in 2011. Many industry experts believe more cows are headed to the Cornbelt—a shift that could leave corn and soybean growers reaching for a Stetson instead of a seed corn cap.
A recent study by Rabobank—a leading ag lender—drew attention to the changing geography of cow/calf production. “Cow numbers hit a low of 29 million in 2014 and we think it will now increase by 3.5 million head. New cow herds in the Cornbelt and Northern Plains will play a bigger role,” says senior analyst Don Close.