The January 1, 2024, beef cow herd inventory was 28.22 million head, down 2.5 percent year over year and a decrease of 3.47 million head or 10.9 percent lower, from the cyclical peak in 2019.
U.S. hay production in 2023 was 6.3% higher than the drought year of 2022, but remains 7.8% lower than the 10-year average. Hay stocks were higher in eight of the ten states, with decreases only in Kansas and Kentucky.
The latest Crop Production report from USDA-NASS shos May 1 hay stocks at 14.9 million tons, down 2.9% year over year. However, May 1 hay stocks in 2018 were also small.
