AROUND THE INDUSTRY
by Kiley McKinna
Optimism — why not ?
Welcome to the Limousin 365 Fall Sale Edition ! As you page through this issue , you ’ ll find many of the breed ’ s upcoming fall sales promoted , a showcase of the most relevant and progressive programs , in addition to multiple feature stories and industry news . As I write this column , pondering which direction to head , a question comes to mind — optimism , why not ?
Are you tired of the constant doom and gloom about Covid , politics , international affairs , droughts , fires and the never ending list of ‘ stuff ’ that continues to goes on and on ? Folks , without a shadow of a doubt , I categorically have , probably like most of you , relegated myself to kids , cows and what I can control . That said , let ’ s take a deep breath , sip some morning coffee , think a little and realize what really is .
1 . The commercial cattle market .
While I ’ m not a palm reader , nor do I have crystal ball , my predictions are often based on a good ol ’ fashion boots on the ground intuition . That said , my recent industry interactions have revealed more than just a trickle of conservative optimism . Listening and leaning on producers truly integrated in the commercial cattle business , there ’ s a real feel of a positive market turn building . If you are a believer in supply and demand , the following quote in an article in this issue by Wes Ishmael , should give cause for optimism .
“ Ultimately , during the current contraction phase , CattleFax expects feeder cattle and calf supplies to decline roughly 1 million head from the cyclical peak . CattleFax expects the beef cowherd to decline 400,000 head by January 1 of next year , reaching 30.7 million head .”
Given the increased demand the industry is currently experiencing , I can ’ t help but feel tighter supplies will lead to even more increased demand and consequently , increased prices being paid for not only feeder cattle , but for the cows and bulls that are necessary to produce them . That said , stay the course , charge forward and look toward greener pastures on the horizon .
2 . Steady seedstock female demand .
Despite droughts and doubts , the female market has been remarkably steady to good . In my capacity as a sale manager , I ’ m pleased to share with you the up tick in demand for production cattle has been pleasantly surprising . A popular question consistently asked is what ’ s driving this ? There are a few contributing factors that come to mind : 1 ) A remembrance that many of our breeders are farmers first and cattlemen second . With that in mind , the increase in commodity grain prices ( despite rising feed costs ) has lended itself to a slight surplus of cash among many ; 2 ) some drought stricken regions of the past few years , which happen to be populous with Limousin breeders / enthusiasts , caught early rains this summer allowing for above average feed stuffs ; and 3 ) let ’ s not forget the 2021 bull season , that by and large was very successful seeing an up tick in bull prices . Naturally , when that happens we typically experience a more robust female market albeit a slow burn .
3 . Uncanny show ring acceptance .
This is simply a wild phenomenon ! In my tenure running in Limousin circles for the better part of 20 years , I ’ ve never seen such a fevered pitch around Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle in the show ring . Without the exact number of wins sitting in front me ( it changes virtually weekly ), I ’ ve never seen our cattle be so widely accepted as evidence by the scores of “ supreme ” championship banners our cattle have earned across the country the past 12 months . I realize the forward movement of our breed by and large will be done through the growth of the commercial bull market , but let ’ s take a minute to embrace this segment of our industry as well — it ’ s important . Folks , particularly among young people , it ’ s “ cool ” again to have a Limousin or Lim-Flex show critter ! Let ’ s be proud , you ’ ve earned the right to be — our cattle are good !
All of these things exude optimism and clear cut opportunity ! Every now and again it ’ s more than okay to take a glass-half-full approach versus the alternative . Often , an optimistic attitude will translate into positive things both in cows and in life . Conversely , the very opposite will leave you defeated before you ever leave the gate . That said , I challenge you to swing hard this fall , do the best you can and let the chips fall as they may .
In closing , I sincerely hope you enjoy our Fall Sale Edition . It ’ s of benefit to your program and a promotional piece the Limousin breed can be proud of . A big thank you to all of the advertisers , readers and those that continue to support and offer feedback as it relates to your magazine , Limousin 365 .
God bless and I look forward to seeing you down the sale trail this fall . We are all in it together and Limousin proud .
6 • OCTOBER 2021