These aren't the best of times for cow-calf producers. Prices are in a free-fall. "It's hard to figure how you can make any money," Ray McDowell, manager of the Joplin Regional Stockyards, tells BEEF Some lighter steer calves that sold in the 40-50 dollar/cwt, range this spring were bringing the low 80s dollar a year ago, he notes. Producers are being clobbered by lagging beef demand, record meat supplies and bad publicity. Although recent rains have helped, drought, poor wheat pastures, dried-up ponds and high winter feed costs have forced liquidation of some herds in the mid-South.
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