An eastern Iowa cattle producer says 2025 has been a strong year for his business.
Lance Lillibridge raises red angus cattle in Benton County.
“This is probably the first year in about 10 that I’ve really felt great about the cattle,” he said. “I mean, what a blessing it is to finally have prices that are encouraging.”
He tells Brownfield he pushes back on the notion that beef is currently priced too high.
“You go into a restaurant, buy a $25 steak, and you put an 18% tip on that steak after you pay your bill. That 18% tip is more than what the cattle producer got for the steak.”
Lillibridge says the size of the U.S. cattle herd remains historically low which provides fundamental support to the market.
“It has to do with consolidation, input costs, and it also has to do with the cattle producer not getting enough for that product he’s growing and raising.”
The USDA’s Cattle Inventory report, which is set to be released in late January, will be the next opportunity to see if producers have started to implement herd expansion plans.
