Trends . . .  CATTLE  ON  FEED  BELOW  A  YEAR  AGO

On Friday, July 25^th, the USDA-NASS monthly Cattle on Feed report, showed an on-feed inventory number that was near expectations, although both placements and marketings were lower than pre-report estimates suggested.  As of July 1^st, USDA reported the total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more at 10.3 million head, four percent below last year and one percent below the 2002-2006 average.  Also, in the mid-year cattle inventory report, USDA showed the number of cattle in all U.S. feedlots was 5 percent below a year ago, indicating that the smaller feedlots that are not surveyed monthly continue to shrink their cattle feeding activities. 

MID-YEAR  CATTLE  INVENTORY

As noted above, USDA also released the mid-year Cattle inventory report which further confirmed expectations that cattle numbers overall have continued to decline due to a number factors, particularly increases in overall production costs, lingering impacts of drought over recent years and lower calf prices.  Looking ahead, tighter supplies of available cattle should be supportive of fed cattle prices.  Still, economic conditions for cow-calf operations and high feedstuff costs suggest further U.S. beef cowherd liquidation will occur.

SHEEP  FLOCK  DECLINES

NASS also released the July 1 Sheep report on Friday, which reported a rather notable yearly decline in the U.S. sheep flock and included a further downward revision to last year’s mid-year inventory numbers as well.  According to the report, the U.S. sheep and lamb flock totaled 7.35 million head, 250 thousand head less than last year and 5 percent below 2005’s.  The further decline in numbers this year in both the January and July reports has been reflected in a reduction in lamb slaughter.