Drenching rains green pastures, bode well for herd expansion

WICHITA, Kan. — Drenching rains that recently soaked the Great Plains have brought welcomed moisture to areas still recovering from droughts, greening pastures as ranchers begin the annual rite of moving cattle to the nation's summer grazing lands.

Ranchers in Kansas and elsewhere in cattle country are still trying to rebuild herds that were decimated in the 2012 and 2013 droughts, when they sold off much of their livestock because of shriveled pastures and skyrocketing hay prices. But in the past month, ranchers have benefited from inches of rain: Parts of Oklahoma and Texas averaged between 400 and 500 percent of its normal rainfall, and central Kansas saw 125 percent of what's normal, according to MDA Weather Services agricultural meteorologist Don Keeney.

"Nationally, range and pasture conditions are notably improved from last year and other recent periods of drought throughout the U.S.," Kansas State University Extension beef specialist Glynn Tonsor said, adding that it means beef cow herds will expand as planned.

That's good news for consumers, who are seeing record retail beef prices— averaging $6.08 a pound for the all-fresh beef, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14 percent higher than it was a year ago. Current prices are a result of a double whammy: tighter beef supplies because of cutbacks in herds during the drought and fewer calves going to the slaughterhouse now as ranchers restock herds.

The expansion is reflected in the last official count in January that showed the nation's cattle herd was up by 600,000 head compared to a year ago — which means more calves are being born this year.

"We are expanding the herd very quickly right now," said Kevin Good, a market analyst with industry-tracking group CattleFax, "And so we will have more beef supplies on the market by 2016."

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