The cow-calf segment of the U.S. beef industry is diverse in farm size, structure, and location, with farms located in every State and ranging from very small to very large. Modest structural change has occurred in this segment over the past two decades, resulting in moderately fewer farms that produce more animals and are more specialized in cow-calf production. In this report, cow-calf farms are compared by region, farm size, phases of beef production that are present on the farm, and farm typology using the cow-calf version of the 2018 USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey. Larger scale cow-calf farms were found in the Northern Plains and West regions, whereas smaller scale farms tended to be located in the southeast and Southern Plains regions. Larger scale cow-calf farms had lower economic costs per cow and tended to adopt advanced technologies, management practices, and production systems at greater rates than smaller farms. Operators of cow-calf farms had a range of motivations that influenced their decisions.
Details
Title
Structure, Management Practices, and Production Costs of U.S. Beef Cow-Calf Farms
Record Identifier
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/338941
Language
English
Total Pages
40
Note
This report presents data from 1996, 2008, and 2018 surveys of U.S. beef cow-calf producers. The producers were surveyed as part of USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey, which is jointly administered by USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) and USDA, NASS. For each survey year, each farm was assigned a weight that indicated the unique number of similar farms the farm represents. Therefore, estimates derived from the data were representative of the largest cow-calf producing States, comprising 90 percent of cow-calf production on operations with at least 20 cows. Since the survey targeted cow-calf operations, the sample list frame excluded animal feeding operations that do not breed cows and/or heifers. Surveyed producers were divided into groups by type of operation (i.e., cow-calf only, cow-calf/stocker, or cow-calf/feedlot), region, farm size, and farm typology, which is based on farm sales and the operator’s primary occupation. Structural and economic differences among producers in each group were statistically evaluated. This report also uses data from USDA, NASS, including—but not limited to—Census of Agriculture data.
Series Statement
Economic Research Report Number 321