According to Missouri Cattlemen's Association Executive Vice President Mike Deering, Missouri's cattle farmers and ranchers expanded their cattle herds for the second year in a row.

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service released its 2015 cattle inventory report revealing that the Missouri cattle herd expanded to the tune of 150,000 head. That's 300,000 head above 2013 numbers. The report shows Missouri's total cattle inventory is at 4 million head, making Missouri one of the top six states for herd expansion. 

GROWING HERDS: The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service released its 2015 cattle inventory report revealing that the Missouri cattle herd expanded 150,000 head, 300,000 head above 2013 numbers.

"The 2015 report displays the resiliency of Missouri's cattle farmers and ranchers," Deering said. "Missouri is a leader in the U.S. beef cattle industry because of the intellect of the people in this business. Cattlemen deployed sound risk management tools and it paid off." 

Missouri State Statistician for USDA-NASS Robert Garino said Missouri cattle farmers and ranchers are seeing cattle numbers at levels they haven't seen for several years. 

"This is the first time Missouri has been at 4 million head since 2010. After adding 103,000 beef cows in 2013, beef cow numbers increased by 61,000 in 2014 to 1.881 million," according to Garino. "That put Missouri third in beef cows, just 19,000 head below Oklahoma."    

Garino said what made 2015 report different from the 2014 report is the widespread growth in cow numbers across the country. Unlike previous years, Oklahoma and Texas both experienced herd expansion.The 2015 report shows that Oklahoma's cow herd expanded by 150,000 head. 

"This year, unlike last year, a lot of other states also saw big jumps in inventory," he said. "At the U.S. level, all cattle increased by 1% to 89.8 million head, the first increase since 2007. U.S. beef cow numbers were up 2% to 29.7 million, the first increase since 2006." 

Deering said Missouri beef cow numbers were not the only increase. Missouri's calf crop moved up 30,000 head to 1.76 million, which is the first increase since 2005. The report also showed that bulls moved up 10,000 head, which is the most since 2010.

Source: Missouri Cattlemen's Association