General Production Information

● The beef cattle industry ranks as the leading agricultural industry in South Dakota in terms of total cash receipts, producing 29.9 % of the total agricultural cash receipts for the state during 1999. This is above the five year average of 27.0 % of the total state cash agricultural receipts. ● The average price received per 100 pounds was $108 for calves and $75.50 for cows during the 2000 season. This was the highest price received in the last five years. ● Cash receipts from the sale of cattle and calves totaled $1,410,608,000 during 2000. In addition, there was $10,754,000 value in home consumption of beef during 2000, with total gross income from cattle and calves measuring $1,421,362,000. ● South Dakota ranked 19th in the nation in terms of total cash receipts from livestock and livestock products during 1999, the last year for which reports are available. ● During 2001, South Dakota ranked seventh in the nation in numbers of all cattle and calves, with 4,050,000 head on producer's farms on January 1. This number is up four percent from the 2000 level totals approximately 4.2 % of the total U. S. cattle inventory. ● South Dakota ranked fifth in the U.S. in beef cows that have calved, with 1,809,000 head on hand as of Jan.1, 2001. This is up 5 % from 2000 and represents 5.4 % of the total U.S. cattle inventory. ● South Dakota ranked fourth, behind Texas, Missouri and California in total calf crop on January 1, 2001, with 1,850,00