# Why Cattle Remain in Short Supply | Institutional Investor

> Cattle supplies remain tight after drought and high input costs limited herd expansion, with USDA putting the U.S. cattle inventory at its smallest in eight years and beef cow numbers at the lowest since 1962. Live cattle futures have roughly doubled from their 2020 low, and record futures trading volume reflects heavy risk management.

- Date: 2023-11-27 · published 2023-11-27T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: market · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/7868-why-cattle-remain-in-short-supply-institutional-investor
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

A structurally small herd with strong beef demand keeps cattle and feeder prices supported, and herd rebuilding is not expected before 2026-2027.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- institutionalinvestor.com: https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2che4chb6qu0zjjxxv4zk/innovation/why-cattle-remain-in-short-supply

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