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Drought leads to lower beef prices in Missouri

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The worst drought in decades is set to lower beef prices for the state of Missouri. The rising cost of feed for cows has compelled ranchers to slaughter their herds, rather than pay significantly more for feed. The increase in slaughter of cattle creates more supply, while demand stays relatively the same. President of Missouri Legacy Beef, Mark Manken said it is a difficult time for ranchers.

“It takes years to build a herd, so once they’re out, especially for our senior farmers. It’s almost impossible  to build a herd of any high quality, once they’ve been liquidated,” Manken said.

Brenda Brown, a member of Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research board said artificial reproduction strategies are one way that ranchers can increase their herd’s numbers .