American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Bernt Nelson says weather is the main driver of consolidation on the cattle industry. “We started in a back-to-back drought situation that urged consolidation in the cattle industry and inflation just spurred it on.” The smaller inventory of breeding stock should boost prices next year, but inflation will play a large role in profitability. “With so many females entering the market, the cash crop for next year is going to be much smaller.”
