americanfreepress.net By AFP Editor
America’s independent cattle ranchers are vanishing at an alarming rate, and the consequences extend far beyond rural communities. According to R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America):
American ranchers are vanishing at a record rate. Nearly 107,000 beef cattle farms and ranches have been lost in five years (over 21,000 a year).
The 2022 Census of Agriculture by the Department of Agriculture confirms this crisis, documenting that the United States has lost nearly 107,000 beef cattle farms and ranches between 2017 and 2022. This represents an average loss of over 21,000 operations per year. Even more troubling, this alarming trend forms part of a longer decline, with more than 665,000 beef cattle operations disappearing since 1980.
The census reveals additional concerning details about the scope of this consolidation. America’s cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size since 1951, with only 88 million head remaining as of 2022, down 6% from 2017. The beef cattle herd specifically declined to 29.2 million head, representing an 8% reduction and a loss of 2.5 million animals. The number of farms involved with cattle production decreased by 17% during this five-year period. More recent data shows the crisis continuing unabated. As of Jan. 1, 2025, the U.S. cattle inventory stood at just 86.7 million head, the smallest since 1951.
Multiple factors are driving this perfect storm devastating America’s ranching industry. Corporate consolidation in meatpacking stands out as perhaps the most significant threat. The beef packing industry has become extraordinarily concentrated.
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