Might be time to get a beef critter | Animals | Forums

they are projecting this drought to impact beef prices till at least 2017

It will be years before things return to normal. The number of calves produced has been sharply cut. Feed prices are so high that some farmers have sold heifers instead of breeding them, and so there won't be as much cattle for packing plants next year, Bloomberg reports. It takes calves about 20 months to grow large enough to slaughter.

America may be dealing with declining herds until 2016 or 2017, one USDA livestock analyst reported, according to Bloomberg.

The problem isn't just with the price of corn, which has skyrocketed 64% since June 15. The drought has also destroyed grasses across America's heartland -- and the grass is what cattle feed on before moving to a largely corn-based diet at feedlots, Bloomberg reports. In fact, 59% of U.S. pastures have been rated "poor" or "very poor."

http://money.msn.com.....d3b8ea90a4