By Ali Klatt
The beef market outlook, cow herd expansion, the benefit of data collection and the value of harnessing the right technology in cattle production were highlighted during the BeefTech Producer Summit. Kevin Good of CattleFax and Dan Thomson of Production Animal Consultation headlined the event, recently hosted by Performance Livestock Analytics (PLA).
Designed to support independent cattle producers, the event drew more than 250 producers, nutritionists, veterinarians and allied industry representatives from across the country to Sioux City, Iowa, Feb. 26-27. Participants learned from experts, made new connections, heard from PLA’s COO and explored what’s new with Performance Beef, the company’s cattle management software.
Market outlook
Good, vice president of market analysis and industry relations at CattleFax, discussed the current cattle market and factors affecting prices today.
“We’re sitting here with record-high values this last month, month and a half. I think the question is, will these values continue?” Good said.
He anticipates market highs are approaching, likely in the next year or two. However, cattle feeders may pay more than they’d like to for yearlings and calves, he said.
“Demand is great today, but we need to recognize we still have a consumer out there respecting and loving our product because it is a better product as long as they have dollars to spend,” Good said. “If that changes, then we have to reassess and say, well maybe the market high is pretty much in place.”
Cow-calf expansion
Year-to-date, beef cow slaughter is down 21%, dairy cow slaughter is down 4%, and the cow market is within a few cents of the highs from last summer, Good said. Those cow market figures suggest cow herd expansion; however, heifer numbers tell a different story.
“Heifers that were either bred or intended to be bred coming into this year are at a record low,” Good said. “Will we have a bigger cow herd on the first of 2026 or not? Cow slaughter says yes. But at the same time, we don’t have the heifers in the system, and because of that we might be flatter for another year.”
Unless drought eases significantly, Good indicated cow herd expansion will be very slow.
Technology holds promise for beef industry
Thomson is a feedlot veterinarian and CEO of Production Animal Consultation, which provides veterinary care for 30% of the cattle on feed in the United States. Thomson also hosts DocTalk, a weekly RFD-TV show.
He challenged cattle producers to think differently, embrace the right technology and look for every opportunity for passive data collection.
“Robotics, automation, passive information and passive data is the future,” he said.
“We have to use the data and have the ability to interpret the data to make changes, whether it’s on the fly or at a set point in time.”
Thomson reassured cattle producers that technology won’t replace them.
“Technology is going to bring more people into agriculture, not less,” he said. “We’re just going to have different jobs and different routines.”
Company road map and Performance Beef updates
PLA Co-founder Dustin Balsley shared the company’s vision and progress since PLA gained its independence from Zoetis in 2023.
“Our focus is the independent cattle producer,” he said. “We’re committed to doing what’s best for them because they’re the people I answer to my dad, my neighbors and you.”
During the summit, PLA’s sales and customer success team answered questions and helped attendees use Performance Beef technology better. Balsley shared newly released features, including customizable dashboards and invoicing upgrades.
“Our goal is to make more usable features while keeping it simple and expanding data insights for decision-making,” Balsley said. “Looking forward, we’ll continue to look at the ecosystem and partnerships. We’re talking to other innovative companies, figuring out what is the best way for us to integrate data and provide services back to our customers.”
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