By James Mitchell
The National Agricultural Statistics Service released the May Cattle on Feed report on Friday. As of May 1, 2025, the total inventory of cattle and calves on feed in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head reached 11.38 million, down 1.5 percent from a year ago. April placements totaled 1.61 million head, 2.6 percent lower than last year. April cattle marketings totaled 1.83 million head, down 2.5 percent. All figures were within the range of pre-report expectations, with no major surprises.
Although the report held no surprises, several emerging themes in 2025 are worth highlighting. First, dressed weights continue to provide a buffer against tighter cattle supplies. One of the most notable trends in 2024 was heavier-than-expected dressed weights, averaging 27 pounds above 2023 levels, and breaking from typical seasonal patterns. As a result, USDA repeatedly revised its 2024 beef production forecast in the WASDE report. From January to December, the forecast was raised by 4 percent, or 925 million pounds.
Source : osu.edu