Mike Pearson tells us the latest cattle herd numbers collected by the USDA.

The USDA released the latest Cattle on Feed report Sept. 22. The news was not surprising but it did send higher cattle prices through trading.

The size of the nation's beef herd was down again from 2022 by 2.2 percent at 11.1 million head on feed. This means the record prices for cattle and beef in grocery stores will be staying.

The cattle on feed was lower than the previous reports but so were the number of feedlot placements which is also tracked in the report.

It details how many claves were marketed in August along with how many cattle were sold for beef.

The report showed 1.88 million head were marketed which was down 6.6 percent and record beef prices were set in August.

The heat and dry conditions continued their hold over more traditional cattle states. However, placements in Idaho, Iowa, Washington, Kansas, Minnesota did show more cattle on feed than last year.

Arizona feedlots showed they are not even 90 percent as full as 2022.

However, Kansas showed placements were up from 2022 as much as 35 percent from July.

One cattle expert says expect volatility in pricing due to cattle supply and feed prices.

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, a farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness.