# Shrinking US cattle herd squeezes meatpacker profits - Beef Web

> The US beef cow herd is the smallest since 1962 after drought and high feed costs drove producers to send animals to slaughter. Cattle feeders now have more bargaining power over meatpackers such as Tyson, Cargill and JBS. Cargill expects cattle prices to rise further.

- Date: 2023-06-09 · published 2023-06-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: market · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/35441-shrinking-us-cattle-herd-squeezes-meatpacker-profits-beef-web
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

A structurally shrinking herd keeps cattle supplies tight, lifting cattle prices and squeezing packer margins, which may push beef prices higher for consumers.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- beefweb.com: https://beefweb.com/shrinking-us-cattle-herd-squeezes-meatpacker-profits/

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