Extreme drought, weather forcing cattle farmers to thin herds at near-record numbers: industry experts

By Rosa Saba

An uptick in drought and other extreme weather events has beef producers in the U.S. and Canada thinning their herds in near-record numbers, which could lead to supply problems in the beef industry over the longer term, industry experts say.

Producers will increasingly struggle with profitability amid the unpredictable seasons as climate change makes drought, flooding and wildfires more common, they say.

For the past few years, dry conditions and droughts in both countries have prompted producers to reduce their herd sizes by sending more cattle to slaughter, which has resulted in increased production of beef products, said Desmond Sobool, principal economist with Farm Credit Canada