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May is National Beef Month

by | May 22, 2024

Beef Month
May 22nd, 2024
CSB Ag Lending Team

 

National Beef Month

May is National Beef Month, and there is no shortage of reasons to recognize the celebration here at Citizens State Bank. Even though every month is a good month to thank our farmers, May is dedicated specifically to the cattle ranchers who are up before the sun to feed the world.

Beef in Illinois

According to Illinois Beef Association Executive Vice President, Josh St. Peters, beef ranks as the fourth largest commodity in Illinois, with over 14,000 family farms in Illinois that are producing beef on their operations. Despite liquidation in the U.S. cattle herd, Illinois is one of just six states that has seen an increase in cattle on feed year over year. Currently the state sits at more than 1 million head.

Through discussion with industry personnel, we credit a lot of this growth to farm expansion, specifically with the younger generation returning to the farm. As older generations exit with high market value, the younger generation steps in. A story of succession planning…but that’s a topic for another day.

HPAI Just in Time for Beef Month

With the discovery of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza spreading in the dairy industry, the beef industry is closely monitoring the new rules and regulations for cattle movement. As of now, there have been no cases of HPAI in beef cattle, which is great news for the industry.

However, with the dairy and beef industries working so closely throughout the state of Illinois, the IBA is working to continue to help consumers feel comfortable with products being placed on the grocery shelves. The IBA is also working to keep producers vigilant and understanding when there are updates.

How does this concern cattle ranchers and their Ag Lender?

With CSB locations bordering not only one, but two different states, many of our beef producers typically sell and transport cattle across state lines on a regular basis. Currently, there are minimal concerns as selling across boarders is only prohibited in lactating dairy cattle. If the situation progresses and cross boarder sales are halted for all cattle livestock, some concerns may arise. For now, we continue to educate ourselves and our producers to ensure operations remain successful throughout the year.

Beef is an important piece of Illinois Agriculture, and here at CSB we are proud to support those that feed the world!

Read below for some fun facts about beef:
  • There are 91.9 million head of cattle in the U.S.
  • Beef is the largest agriculture industry in the U.S. with the highest cash receipts.
  • Texas is the top producer of beef.
  • The average beef cattle herd size in the U.S. is 50 head.
  • It can take anywhere from 18 months to 3 years to bring beef from pasture to plate.
  • The U.S. produces 20% of the world’s beef with only 7% of the world cattle population.
  • Beef is one of the top nutrient dense foods! (Yes, both grass and grain finished)

Resource: National Beef Month begins | Livestock | farmweeknow.com