Cost of Producing and Marketing Finished Beef in Relation to Consuming Areas

South Dakota exports a large part of its agricultural production. The commodities exported and the form in which they are exported are determinants of the returns producers receive for the employment of their resources. The objectives of this study were: (1) To determine the principal costs for bringing beef cattle from 400 pound weight to a finished weight of 1150 pounds in South Dakota and in other selected areas. Two main categories of cost are purchase price of the animal and feed costs. (2) To compare the cost of marketing beef produced in South Dakota with beef produced in selected consumption areas of the United States. Transportation and shrinkage costs from South Dakota to the consumption area comprise the principal marketing costs