ANALYSIS: US 2026 Cattle Supply Crunch: Slaughter Falls, Imports Plunge, Herd Hits New Lows
In 2025, cattle slaughter fell 6.4% year over year, a decline of roughly 2 million head. By category, cow and bull slaughter posted the steepest drop, down 13.1% from 2024 to 2025, or about 800,000 head. Steer and heifer slaughter fell 6.1% YOY, a reduction of roughly 1.5 million head.
The January 2026 cattle inventory report shows total cattle and calves in the US down 8.5% since the July 2025 report and down 0.6% from January 2025...
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