# Shrinking U.S. cattle herd signals more pain from high beef prices

> Reuters reports the U.S. cattle herd shrank further, with ranchers reducing it about 2% from a year earlier to its lowest July 1 level in roughly seven years. Lower cattle prices are noted as benefiting livestock producers while high beef prices persist.

- Date: 2022-08-09 · published 2022-08-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/39969-shrinking-u-s-cattle-herd-signals-more-pain-from-high-beef-prices
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

A smaller cow herd tightens feeder cattle and beef supplies, supporting cattle prices into 2023 and keeping feed demand steady for buyers.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2025-03-14 | [Cattle herd shrinks, prices go higher - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25522-cattle-herd-shrinks-prices-go-higher-high-plains-journal.md) | +2.8% | +2.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2021-07-26 | [Prices for Young Cattle Are Soaring, Signaling Expensive Beef](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46202-prices-for-young-cattle-are-soaring-signaling-expensive-beef.md) | -0.6% | +1.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-04-24 | [Fischer: Prices For Cattle Remain High](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25264-fischer-prices-for-cattle-remain-high.md) | +1.8% | +3.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2021-09-14 | [U.S. beef cattle: Numbers down, prices up](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45199-u-s-beef-cattle-numbers-down-prices-up.md) | -0.2% | +0.6% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-12-19 | [Cattle and beef: Where to from here?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55547-cattle-and-beef-where-to-from-here.md) | +0.9% | +3.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-03-14 | [Cattle herd shrinks, prices go higher - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25522-cattle-herd-shrinks-prices-go-higher-high-plains-journal.md) | +2.9% | +0.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2021-07-26 | [Prices for Young Cattle Are Soaring, Signaling Expensive Beef](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46202-prices-for-young-cattle-are-soaring-signaling-expensive-beef.md) | -1.2% | -0.7% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-04-24 | [Fischer: Prices For Cattle Remain High](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25264-fischer-prices-for-cattle-remain-high.md) | +1.5% | +2.8% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/shrinking-us-cattle-herd-signals-more-pain-high-beef-prices-2022-08-09/

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