What Does 2013 Bring for the Seedstock Industry

摘要

There has been little surprise in the beef industry in 2012 since we have continued to kill cattle as predicted and the droughts have persisted over many areas of the country. We will end up with the smallest beef herd since about 1950, and since ourpeak in 1996, we have been in a decline for the better part of the last sixteen years. Until this year we have been able to produce the same amount of pounds of beef for consumption as when we had more cattle. The U.S. beef herd has produced better performing cattle with larger carcasses. I believe the principles of quantitative genetics have worked as predicted and expected, but we are now being challenged to understand these principles even better since, for the first time, we will probably be producing two to three percent fewer pounds of beef for consumption, and the short fall is being made up from imports.