# Numbers tell two stories about ag profitability - High Plains Journal

> A University of Missouri analyst says 2026 net farm income is projected at $153.4 billion, with livestock receipts far outpacing crop receipts. Cowherd numbers are about 28 million head, and pasture conditions in the Plains are limiting herd rebuilding.

- Date: 2026-08-14 · published 2026-08-14T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/17898-numbers-tell-two-stories-about-ag-profitability-high-plains-journal
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Strong cattle receipts combined with slow herd rebuilding supports tight beef supplies and cattle prices, while crop sector margins remain weaker.

## Read by commodity

- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2025-02-28 | [Cattle prices expected to remain high in 2025 and 2026 - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26182-cattle-prices-expected-to-remain-high-in-2025-and-2026-high-plains-journal.md) | -1.3% | +5.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2023-04-30 | [Higher Cattle Prices Good, But Wide Profit Margins Are Better - Morning Ag Clips](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6725-higher-cattle-prices-good-but-wide-profit-margins-are-better-morning-ag-clips.md) | -4.2% | -3.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-01-24 | [Optimism, higher cattle prices to start 2022](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43088-optimism-higher-cattle-prices-to-start-2022.md) | +0.6% | +3.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-12-16 | [Higher revenues and falling feed prices boost producer optimism \| The National Provisioner](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21623-higher-revenues-and-falling-feed-prices-boost-producer-optimism-the-national.md) | -0.1% | +1.7% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-06-27 | [Terrain \| Record Carcass Weights Won’t Stop Record Prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7980-terrain-record-carcass-weights-won-t-stop-record-prices.md) | -1.6% | -1.3% |

## Sources

- hpj.com: https://hpj.com/2026/08/14/numbers-tell-two-stories-about-ag-profitability/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.