The latest USDA Cattle on Feed report pegged the Oct. 1 cattle on feed inventory at 11.45 million head, down 0.9% year over year. This is the first year-over-year decrease in the monthly on-feed inventory since December 2021.

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service recently released the latest Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade report. The report provides estimates for production, consumption and trade for beef, pork and chicken for major countries. The article focuses on the Mexican beef and cattle industry.

Both feedlot inventories and cattle slaughter have remained stubbornly high this year due to drought-forced movement of cattle out of the country. Feedlot production, cattle slaughter and beef production are all expected to decrease sharply in 2023.

Year-to-date U.S. cattle imports total 951,910 head, down 6.3% year over year. Total cattle exports thus far in 2022 are 192,415 head, down 36.7% from the record cattle export total last year.

Aided and abetted by the drought, feedlots put together another month of large placements in July.