Hurricane Harvey May Damage US Cattle Breeding

 | Aug 29, 2017 07:34AM ET

Thousands of heads of cattle in feedlots may suffer because of Hurricane Harvey. Will feeder cattle quotes grow?

The brunt of Hurricane Harvey fell in the US states of Louisiana and Texas, which are the leaders in beef production. Meanwhile, the economic damage is estimated at $40 bln, but the figure will be elaborated. An additional factor for the possible price increase may be the monthly survey of the USDA.

In July 2017, the number of calves placed in feedlots increased by 2.7% and amounted to 1.615 mln heads. This is by 2.7% higher than the July figure of the last year. The data may disappoint market participants, who expected a growth by 6.2%.

Nevertheless, according to the Livestock Marketing Information Center, even such an increase in supply could cut the incomes of feedlots twofold in July compared to June of this year. This may encourage farmers to reduce the number of calves in the future.