# Cattle Economics: Cattle Prices and Rockets | UT Beef & Forage Center

> A University of Tennessee economist writes that cattle prices are expected to rise in 2023 and likely for a couple of years after, due to reduced heifer and cow retention. A smaller calf crop in 2023 and 2024 is expected, with drought-driven herd reductions a further factor.

- Date: 2022-12-01 · published 2022-12-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: macro · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/38361-cattle-economics-cattle-prices-and-rockets-ut-beef-and-forage-center
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Expectations of a shrinking beef herd support higher cattle prices ahead, which raises feeder cattle costs and the value of feed sold into longer-term feedlot demand.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2025-09-27 | [A lot at steak: US beef and cattle prices soar to record highs \| Beef \| The Guardian](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23000-a-lot-at-steak-us-beef-and-cattle-prices-soar-to-record-highs-beef-the-guardian.md) | -1.2% | +0.9% |
| LCATTLE | 2023-05-31 | [The Cattle and Beef Margin Squeeze: Peel](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5226-the-cattle-and-beef-margin-squeeze-peel.md) | +4.1% | +4.4% |
| 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 | 2021-12-22 | [Turning the Page on a Year of Transition \| Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43743-turning-the-page-on-a-year-of-transition-ohio-beef-cattle-letter.md) | +0.8% | +0.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-09-27 | [A lot at steak: US beef and cattle prices soar to record highs \| Beef \| The Guardian](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23000-a-lot-at-steak-us-beef-and-cattle-prices-soar-to-record-highs-beef-the-guardian.md) | +0.0% | -0.8% |
| FCATTLE | 2023-05-31 | [The Cattle and Beef Margin Squeeze: Peel](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5226-the-cattle-and-beef-margin-squeeze-peel.md) | -0.0% | +1.3% |
| FCATTLE | 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) | -0.9% | +4.1% |

## Sources

- utbeef.tennessee.edu: https://utbeef.tennessee.edu/cattle-economics-cattle-prices-and-rockets/

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