Cattle Market
U.S. Cattle Herd Shrinks to 75-Year Low: Beef Supply Crisis Deepens as Inventories Hit 1951 Levels
The American ranching industry has reached a historic inflection point as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual Cattle Inventory report on January 30, 2026. The data reveals a staggering contraction of the national herd to just 86.2 million head, the lowest total count since 1951.