Missouri regains No. 2 spot in U.S. beef cattle

Missouri reclaimed the No. 2 spot in beef cattle, moving past Nebraska with the addition of 63,000 cows in 2013, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture inventory. Texas remains in the top spot with a commanding 3.91 million head – more than double’s Missouri’s 1.82 million cows.

Missouri held the No. 2 spot between 1998 and 2008.

The Show-Me State is on a beef cattle growth curve matched only by three states. Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma each recorded increases of more than 50,000 cows.

A University of Missouri agriculture economist told St. Louis Public Radio Missouri likely benefited from seasons of rain while other parts of the country dealt with drought.

Inventory declined nationwide by 255,000 head last year, following a downward trend that began in the mid-1990s, according to USDA data. The U.S. now has 29 million cows, the lowest level since 1962.

The declining beef supply has bumped cattle prices higher, and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association reports an expected upturn in cow numbers.

"The economics seem to be in place for future growth in the beef cow numbers," MU beef economist Scott Brown said. "Missouri producers see those signals.”

Read more from St. Louis Public Radio.