Gitnux/Report 2026

Cattle Farming Industry Statistics

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Cattle Farming Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The cattle farming industry at a glance

Cattle farming remains a large, supply-constrained industry: U.S. cattle and calf cash receipts reached $133.7 billion in 2025, while the national herd stood at 86.2 million head on January 1, 2026.

$133.7B[4]
U.S. cattle receipts, 2025
86.2M[79]
U.S. cattle and calves, 2026
797 Mt[80]
Global cattle milk, 2024
82.7%[79]
Large-feedlot share, 2026
Market size
In the United States, cattle and calf cash receipts totaled $133.7 billion in calendar year 2025, representing 44.0% of total animal and animal-product cash receipts. Globally, cattle milk production reached 797 million tonnes in 2024.[4][80]
Forecast & CAGR
No reliable global cattle-farming CAGR was identified from a primary statistical source. USDA projects U.S. cattle and calf receipts to increase by $7.0 billion, or 5.2%, in 2026, reflecting higher cattle prices.[4]
Market share & regions
The United States remains a major cattle market, with 86.2 million cattle and calves on farms on January 1, 2026. Globally, the Americas and Asia are the largest producing regions for cattle meat, while FAO reports that cattle accounted for 81% of global milk production in 2024.[79][80]
Segmentation
The U.S. herd is segmented between beef and dairy production: beef cows numbered 27.6 million on January 1, 2026, while milk cows totaled 9.57 million. Production is also divided between cow-calf operations, replacement cattle, feedlot cattle and cattle already on feed; cattle on feed totaled 13.8 million head.[79]
Key players & concentration
Cattle production is fragmented at the farm level but concentrated in processing and feeding. Feedlots with capacity of at least 1,000 head accounted for 82.7% of U.S. cattle on feed on January 1, 2026; USDA research describes cattle processing as the most concentrated of the major U.S. meat-processing industries.[79][81]
Pricing
Tight supplies are supporting cattle and beef prices. USDA forecasts U.S. farm-level cattle prices to increase 5.8% in 2026 and wholesale beef prices to rise 8.8%, while its September 2026 outlook notes that cattle prices had declined from spring highs but remained supported by tight supplies.[4]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The U.S. cattle herd remains historically small: the 2025 calf crop was estimated at 32.9 million head, down 2% from 2024, and cattle on feed were down 3% year over year on January 1, 2026. Key pressures include drought, limited pasture and feed availability, animal-disease risks and historically low slaughter levels.[79][4][82]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. beef consumption is forecast to be about 8% above its 20-year average in 2026, despite lower domestic production of approximately 12.0 million metric tons. Competition comes from poultry and pork, while the concentrated beef-processing sector links farm supply conditions to wholesale and retail pricing.[82][81]
Regulation
USDA requires lactating dairy cattle to test negative for influenza A before interstate movement and requires reporting of positive results. The National Milk Testing Strategy also requires relevant milk-sector entities to provide raw-milk samples for influenza A testing when requested by USDA.[16]
Latest news
USDA’s September 2026 outlook lowered U.S. beef-production expectations because fed-cattle slaughter remained historically low, while the August outlook projected 2026 beef production at 24.967 billion pounds. USDA also reported that the Douglas, Arizona port of entry for Mexican cattle would reopen on August 24, 2026.[4]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Cattle Farming Industry

The leading companies in the cattle farming industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Minerva Foods and Cargill are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 cattle farming ranking with an Overall score of 9.1 each.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in beef processing

    Minerva Foods

    BR

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Beef processing

    Why we picked it: It processes South American beef at scale, linking live-cattle exports to high-throughput slaughter capacity.

    See in ranking ↓Visit minervafoods.com ↗

  2. Leader in cattle feed

    Cargill

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Cattle feed

    Why we picked it: It processes large volumes of cattle in North America and pairs beef operations with cattle feed.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cargill.com ↗

  3. Leader in milk production

    Arla Foods

    DK

    Ranked #3 · 8.7 · Milk production

    Why we picked it: It operates a farmer-owned dairy supply chain, collecting milk volumes that support downstream processing.

    See in ranking ↓Visit arla.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the cattle farming industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Minerva Foods

Beef processing · BR

9.1
2

Cargill

Cattle feed · US

9.1
3

Arla Foods

Milk production · DK

8.7
4

Marfrig Global Foods

Beef processing · BR

8.7
5

JBS

Beef processing · NL

8.6
6

Tyson Foods

United States beef processing and protein production · US

8.3
7

Fonterra Co-operative Group

New Zealand dairy cooperative and milk collection · NZ

8.2
8

Saputo

North American and global dairy processing · CA

8.0
9

Dairy Farmers of America

United States dairy cooperative and milk marketing · US

7.8
10

King Ranch

Integrated Texas beef cattle ranching and breeding · US

7.8

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the cattle farming industry. In Cattle Farming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cattle-farming-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest cattle farming companies

Cargill leads with $164.0B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Cargill$164.0B
JBS$86.2B
Tyson Foods$54.0B
Marfrig Global Foods$28.5B
Arla Foods$16.3B
Minerva Foods$6.1B
source-verifiedcargill.com · mediaroom.jbs.com.br · tysonfoods.com · marfrig.com.br · arla.com · minervafoods.com2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Adoption indicators skew toward monitoring and management systems, with 53% of dairy farms and 30% of beef farms using barn-camera monitoring, plus 46% of dairy farms and 24% of beef farms using herd-management systems.

AI in the cattle farming industry

  • 24.9% of surveyed Spanish agricultural businesses used AI for automatic environmental control in 2022.[1]
  • 47.9% of surveyed Spanish agricultural businesses reported using at least one artificial-intelligence system in 2022, including livestock-related operations.[1]
  • More than 16.5 million cattle feed-intake observations from 19 experiments conducted between 2013 and 2024 were used to develop an AI prediction framework.[2]
  • The number of factors identified as influencing digital-technology adoption in cattle farming was 76 in a 2026 systematic literature review.[3]
  • Almost half of 58 publicly available precision-livestock datasets identified in 2024 concerned cattle, supporting AI-based cattle monitoring research.[2]
  • 21.0% of surveyed Spanish agricultural businesses used AI to analyze farm-generated data in 2022.[1]

Automation in the cattle farming industry

  • 53% of surveyed dairy farms and 30% of surveyed beef farms used barn-camera monitoring, according to sector surveys summarized by the OECD.[1]
  • 77% of U.S. farms that adopted robotic milking cited saving labor time as a reason for adoption in 2023.[4]
  • 3% of Austrian livestock farms used robotic milking in 2022.[1]
  • 46% of surveyed dairy farms and 24% of surveyed beef farms used a herd-management system.[1]
  • 6% of Austrian livestock farms used manure-cleaning robots in 2022.[1]
  • 6% of U.S. milk in 2021 came from cows milked by box robots, according to USDA estimates reported in 2026.[5]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[6]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[7]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[6]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[6]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[6]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[1]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[1]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[1]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[1]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[6]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[8]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[6]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[8]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[6]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[6]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[1]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Decision support and record-keeping are uneven, with 17.0% of U.S. beef-cattle operations keeping records on a computer located on the operation and 69% still relying on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025.

Business intelligence in the cattle farming industry

  • 42% of surveyed Southeast U.S. beef producers used automated environmental controls for animal housing in 2025.[9]
  • 35% of Northern Ireland dairy farms adopted some form of big-data technology during 2019–2020.[10]
  • 38% of large farms in Northern Ireland adopted at least one big-data technology during 2019–2020.[10]
  • 72% of surveyed Southeast U.S. beef producers used smartphones or tablets for farm management in 2025.[9]
  • 38% of surveyed Southeast U.S. beef producers used weather-monitoring stations in 2025.[9]
  • 67% of surveyed Southeast U.S. beef producers used computers to track or manage farm finances in 2025.[9]

Data analytics in the cattle farming industry

  • 18% of New Zealand dairy farms surveyed in 2023 recorded grazed paddocks using a computer or app.[1]
  • 82.9% of dairy-farm decision-support-tool users used the tools to decide when to cull a cow.[11]
  • 77.1% of dairy-farm decision-support-tool users used the tools to flag cows with health issues.[11]
  • 24.9% of Spanish livestock farms reported using AI for automatic environmental control in 2022.[1]
  • 71.4% of dairy-farm decision-support-tool users used the tools to decide when to change reproduction protocols.[11]
  • 21.0% of Spanish livestock farms reported using AI for analysis of farm-generated data in 2022.[1]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[12]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[12]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[13]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[13]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[12]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[14]
  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[12]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[15]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[12]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[15]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[15]

KPIs in the cattle farming industry

  • 17.0% of U.S. beef-cattle operations kept records on a computer located on the operation in the USDA survey.[16]
  • 37.4% of U.S. beef operations with 200 or more cows kept records on an on-farm computer in the USDA survey.[16]
  • 47% of U.S. cow-calf producers used the internet for cow-calf information in 2018.[4]
  • 83.3% of U.S. beef-cattle operations kept at least one type of production record in the USDA survey.[16]
  • 95.0% of U.S. dairy operations used a record-keeping system to track individual animals in 2014.[16]
  • 28% of U.S. cow-calf producers used an on-farm computer to manage records in 2018.[4]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Supply and farm-structure pressure shows up in herd dynamics and milk growth; the U.S. herd declined 8% from its 2019 peak to January 1, 2025, while India’s milk production increased 69.4% from 2014–15 to 2024–25.

Growth in the cattle farming industry

  • 247.87 million tonnes was India’s milk production in 2024–25.[17]
  • 8% was the decline in the U.S. cattle herd from its 2019 peak to January 1, 2025.[4]
  • 22% of U.S. agricultural commodity cash receipts came from cattle production in 2024.[4]
  • 24,811 licensed U.S. dairy herds remained in 2024.[4]
  • 63% was the decline in licensed U.S. dairy herds from 2004 to 2024.[4]
  • 69.4% was the increase in India’s milk production from 2014–15 to 2024–25.[17]

Strategic partnerships in the cattle farming industry

  • 45 farms in a farm-channel study combined wholesaler or merchant sales with direct-to-consumer distribution.[18]
  • 58 Pennsylvania beef producers sold through both processors and auctions in a farm-channel study.[18]
  • 33 farms in a farm-channel study distributed through both processors and direct-to-consumer channels.[18]
  • 31,100 family farm and ranch partners supplied JBS USA Beef in 2021.[19]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Labor availability remains a constraint, with 81% of surveyed Texas beef-cattle producers reporting difficulty with labor hiring, turnover, training or retention in 2026.

Hiring in the cattle farming industry

  • 71% of surveyed Texas dairy producers reported difficulty with labor hiring, turnover, training or retention in 2026.[20]
  • 17% was the estimated dairy-farm labor shortage in Michigan in 2024.[21]
  • 81% of surveyed Texas beef-cattle producers reported difficulty with labor hiring, turnover, training or retention in 2026.[20]
  • 27.59% of surveyed cattle and dairy producers were unsure about their short-term labor demand.[20]
  • 42,000 livestock-sector jobs were added in the United States between 2010 and 2024, a 19% increase.[4]

Employee retention in the cattle farming industry

  • 21% of surveyed large-dairy employees specifically mentioned better communication as a workplace improvement in the study’s open-ended responses.[22]
  • 38.8% was the average employee turnover rate on surveyed U.S. dairy farms.[23]
  • 44% was the employee turnover rate before a structured onboarding program on participating U.S. dairy farms.[22]
  • 25% of surveyed dairy employees specifically mentioned better communication as a workplace improvement in a U.S. employee-management study.[22]
  • 28% was the employee turnover rate after a structured onboarding program on participating U.S. dairy farms.[22]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[24]
  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[25]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[26]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[24]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred part-time remote work in 2024.[27]
  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[25]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed globally in 2024, respondents averaged 2.1 work-at-home days per week.[28]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed in 2024, 36% reported having no work-at-home days per week.[28]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[28]

Upskilling in the cattle farming industry

  • 49.1% of surveyed U.S. dairies used job shadowing as an employee-training method.[23]
  • 67% of surveyed Northern New York milkers reported having received training on milking equipment.[29]
  • 13.3 hours was the average annual employee-training time on surveyed U.S. dairy farms.[23]
  • 29.9% of surveyed U.S. dairies offered formal employee training.[23]
  • 27% of surveyed Northern New York dairy managers reported having an ongoing milking-equipment training program.[29]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[30]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[30]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[30]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[30]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[31]

DEI in the cattle farming industry

  • 4,811 workers were employed in California beef-cattle ranching and farming in 2024.[32]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Direct-to-consumer demand is sticky in local markets, with 100% of Kansas consumers who experienced purchasing challenges intending to continue buying beef through the business-to-consumer channel in 2023.

Customer experience in the cattle farming industry

  • 100% of Kansas consumers who experienced purchasing challenges still intended to continue buying beef through the business-to-consumer channel in 2023.[33]
  • 5.7% of surveyed Kansas consumers experienced challenges when purchasing beef through a business-to-consumer channel in 2023.[33]
  • 78.8% of Kansas beef producers rated improved communication between consumers and producers as at least very effective for preventing future complaints in 2023.[34]
  • 93% of surveyed Kansas consumers had previously purchased beef from a local producer or locker, indicating prior exposure to the local beef customer experience in Kansas in 2023.[33]
  • 75.0% of surveyed Kansas producers reported that customers were satisfied with the attempted resolution of a complaint in 2023.[34]

Customer retention in the cattle farming industry

  • 75.0% of surveyed Kansas producers said customers were satisfied with complaint-resolution attempts in 2023.[34]
  • 60% of California bull buyers agreed that they were loyal to specific breeders in a producer survey published in 2022.[11]
  • 63.1% of surveyed Kansas consumers had been purchasing beef through a business-to-consumer format for less than five years in 2023.[33]
  • 100% of Kansas consumers who experienced a business-to-consumer purchasing challenge intended to continue buying through that channel in 2023.[33]
  • 72.2% of surveyed Kansas beef producers had sold beef through a business-to-consumer market for between one and ten years in 2020.[33]

Customer acquisition in the cattle farming industry

  • 93% of surveyed Kansas consumers had previously purchased beef from a local producer or locker in 2023.[33]
  • 63.1% of surveyed Kansas consumers said their most recent business-to-consumer beef purchase was their first such purchase in 2023.[33]
  • 87.1% of surveyed Kansas beef producers considered individual-consumer sales their most profitable marketing channel in 2020.[33]
  • 61.0% of surveyed Kansas beef producers reported increased sales to individual consumers in 2020 compared with previous years.[33]
  • 43.9% of surveyed Kansas beef producers sold 100% of their beef to individual consumers in 2020.[33]

Customer loyalty in the cattle farming industry

  • 64.4% of surveyed cattle buyers said seller reputation influenced their last purchase in an auction-based cattle market study.[21]
  • 91.11% of surveyed cattle buyers chose quality over quantity when making cattle purchases in an auction-market study.[21]
  • 64% of California producers disagreed that social media was important in bull marketing decisions in a survey published in 2022.[11]
  • Nearly 50% of surveyed cattle buyers purchased cattle weekly, while nearly one-quarter purchased only annually in an auction-market study.[21]
  • 60% of California bull buyers agreed that they were loyal to specific breeders in a survey published in 2022.[11]

Lead generation in the cattle farming industry

  • 102,109 subscribers received the largest daily e-newsletter listed in Farm Journal’s 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]
  • 36,111 subscribers received one of the daily e-newsletters listed in Farm Journal’s 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]
  • 196,000 followers were listed for one Farm Journal Facebook account in its 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]
  • 22,000 subscribers were in Farm Journal’s livestock mobile database in the 2024 marketing kit.[35]
  • 91.6% of surveyed Kansas beef producers identified word of mouth as their most common product-marketing method in 2020.[33]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing in the cattle farming industry

  • 42% of California bull buyers disagreed that livestock-publication advertising was important to bull selection in a survey published in 2022.[11]
  • 41% of California bull buyers agreed that bull videos were important to purchasing decisions in a survey published in 2022.[11]
  • 82% of California bull buyers agreed that sale previews were important to purchasing decisions in a survey published in 2022.[11]
  • 45% of California bull buyers agreed that bull pictures were important to purchasing decisions in a survey published in 2022.[11]
  • 91.6% of surveyed Kansas beef producers used word of mouth as their most common product-marketing method in 2020.[33]

Digital marketing in the cattle farming industry

  • More than 200,000 monthly page views were reported for Farm Journal’s beef brands in a 2024 beef-marketing presentation.[35]
  • 67,000 followers were listed for one Farm Journal Instagram account in the 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]
  • 25,333 followers were listed for one Farm Journal LinkedIn account in the 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]
  • 22,000 subscribers were in Farm Journal’s livestock mobile database in 2024.[35]
  • 15,910 average monthly digital views were reported for AgDay in Farm Journal’s 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]

Branding in the cattle farming industry

  • 58% of U.S. consumers ranked beef above other proteins for trust in the people who raise the animals in 2024.[36]
  • More than 70% of U.S. consumers expressed a positive perception of how cattle are raised after viewing Beef Checkoff videos in 2024.[36]
  • 27% of U.S. consumers cited animal welfare as their primary concern about how cattle are raised for food in 2024.[37]
  • 43% of beef producers recalled seeing, reading or hearing something about the Beef Checkoff during the six months before the 2024 report.[36]
  • 26% of U.S. consumers said they knew a lot about how cattle are raised for food in 2024.[37]

Social media in the cattle farming industry

  • 9% of California bull buyers agreed and strongly agreed that social media was important to bull selection decisions in a survey published in 2022.[11]
  • 196,000 followers were listed for one Farm Journal Facebook account in the 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]
  • 48,300 followers were listed for one Farm Journal Twitter account in the 2024 livestock marketing kit.[35]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[38]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[38]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[38]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[38]
  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[38]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational controls and compliance performance are measurable, including 99.5% of cattle births, deaths and movements in England and Wales completed within agreed deadlines in 2023–24.

Process optimization in the cattle farming industry

  • 234 suckler-bred steers and heifers were included in Teagasc’s dataset evaluating Commercial Beef Value for beef-production optimization from 2022 to 2025.[39]
  • 19% of large-scale U.S. dairy farms producing milk had adopted robotic milking, according to USDA data for 2022.[4]
  • 12% of large-scale U.S. livestock farms used wearable technologies, compared with 1% of small farms, in the latest USDA survey.[4]
  • 13% was the average increase in U.S. dairy net returns associated with robotic milking or use of at least two precision technologies.[4]
  • 46% of dairy farms and 24% of beef farms in Spain used herd-management systems in 2022.[1]

Operational efficiency in the cattle farming industry

  • 53.6% was the kill-out rate for early-maturing steers in Teagasc’s carcass-performance comparison.[39]
  • 388 kg was the male-cattle carcass weight reported for one Teagasc suckler-beef system in 2025.[39]
  • 762,000 cattle movement records per month was the median volume used to calculate Great Britain’s cattle population between 2019 and 2023.[40]
  • 32 kg was the increase in carcass weight from two-star to five-star Commercial Beef Value animals in Teagasc’s 2025 Future Beef dataset.[39]
  • 7.47 euros per kilogram was the carcass price for two-star animals in Teagasc’s 2025 Future Beef dataset.[39]

Quality management in the cattle farming industry

  • 25.25 dollars per head was the estimated lost value from failing to meet the National Beef Quality Audit’s quality-grade consistency goal.[37]
  • 2.7% of carcasses in the National Beef Quality Audit graded Prime, versus a 5.0% industry consistency goal.[37]
  • 31.5% of carcasses graded Select in the National Beef Quality Audit, versus a 31.0% goal.[37]
  • 3,755 U.S. cattlemen participated in the producer survey measuring adoption of Beef Quality Assurance management principles.[37]
  • 2 million carcasses from 28 U.S. processing plants were assessed in Phase II of the National Beef Quality Audit.[37]

Supply chain in the cattle farming industry

  • 5,843 bovine animals were subject to movement restrictions in Great Britain in 2024.[40]
  • 99.5% of cattle births, deaths and movements in England and Wales were completed within agreed deadlines in 2023–24.[41]
  • 3.77% of inspected Great Britain holdings were subject to whole-herd cattle movement restrictions in 2024.[40]
  • 458,000 non-electronic cattle transactions were recorded in England and Wales in 2023–24.[41]
  • 9,049 animals were associated with late or missing cattle birth, movement or death reports among non-compliant Great Britain holdings in 2024.[40]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[42]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[43]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[44]
  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[43]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[45]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price-cost relationships remain a key evaluation axis, with USDA forecasting wholesale beef prices to rise 8.8% in 2026 while Teagasc reports 7.40 euros per kilogram carcass price on a suckler-beef farm in 2025.

Pricing strategy in the cattle farming industry

  • 1.62 euros was the increase in carcass value per one-euro increase in Commercial Beef Value in Teagasc’s eight-farm Future Beef dataset.[39]
  • 1.59 euros was the increase in carcass value per one-euro increase in Commercial Beef Value in Teagasc’s 2022–25 dataset.[39]
  • 7.40 euros per kilogram was the carcass price received on a Teagasc suckler-beef farm in the 2025 financial year.[39]
  • 530 euros per tonne was the protected-urea price on the Teagasc suckler-beef farm in the 2025 financial year.[39]
  • 234 euros per head was the increase in base-price carcass value from two-star to five-star animals at a 6.50-euro-per-kilogram base price.[39]

Cost reduction in the cattle farming industry

  • 24% of beef farms in Spain used herd-management systems in 2022, a tool for reducing avoidable labor and production costs.[1]
  • 4% was the year-over-year increase in the cost of grazed feed for U.S. cow-calf producers reported in 2025.[46]
  • 62% of U.S. variable-rate-technology adopters cited reducing purchased input costs as a motivation.[4]
  • 3.97 euros per kilogram was the estimated carcass cost in Teagasc’s 2025 grass-clover suckler-beef system.[39]
  • 27% of beef farms in Spain used remedy-recording systems in 2022, supporting medication and treatment-cost control.[1]

Profitability in the cattle farming industry

  • 29,282 dollars was the median net farm income of participating Minnesota beef farms in 2024.[47]
  • 275 dollars per finished head was the approximate return for Minnesota cattle finishers in 2024.[47]
  • 1,230 euros per hectare was the net margin for Teagasc’s grass-only suckler-beef system in 2025.[39]
  • 250 dollars per cow was approximately the average return from Minnesota beef cow-calf enterprises in 2024.[47]
  • 4.2% was the return on assets for Minnesota beef farms in 2024.[47]

Financial planning in the cattle farming industry

  • 3% was the return on assets for smaller Minnesota beef farms in 2025.[21]
  • 6.5% was the return on assets for larger Minnesota beef farms in 2025.[21]
  • 1.5 to 1 was the debt-coverage ratio for participating Minnesota beef farms in 2024.[47]
  • 39% was the working-capital-to-gross-revenue ratio for the average participating Minnesota beef farm in 2024.[47]
  • 31,395 dollars was the average net farm income of Minnesota beef farms with gross revenue below 500,000 dollars in 2025.[21]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Precision adoption is quantified across dairy and beef, including 25.9% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers actively using automated milking systems in 2025 and 18.8% of surveyed U.S. beef producers using precision mineral supplementation in 2025.

Product development in the cattle farming industry

  • 81.5% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers representing 47,208 cows had adopted at least one precision dairy technology in 2025.[48]
  • 52.8% of surveyed Italian dairy farmers used collar sensors in 2026.[49]
  • 64.2% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers used wearable technologies in 2025.[22]
  • 66.0% of surveyed Italian dairy farmers used automated total-mixed-ration preparation in 2026.[49]
  • 18.8% of surveyed U.S. beef producers used precision mineral supplementation in 2025.[50]

Product lifecycle in the cattle farming industry

  • 25.9% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers actively used automated milking systems in 2025.[22]
  • 36.9% was the overall replacement rate for U.S. dairy cattle in 2017.[11]
  • 19.1% of U.S. dairy heifers were lost between birth and milking-herd entry in 2007.[11]
  • 14.8% of surveyed U.S. dairy farmers actively used automated calf feeders in 2025.[22]
  • 85% was the weaned-calf-crop assumption used in a 2023 New Mexico beef-cattle enterprise model.[51]

After-sales in the cattle farming industry

  • 21% of U.S. cow-calf producers used regularly scheduled veterinary services in 2018.[4]
  • 7% of U.S. cow-calf producers used a nutritionist to design rations in 2018.[4]
  • 73.85% was the reported availability score for curative veterinary services among 120 cattle farmers surveyed in India in 2024.[52]
  • 16% of U.S. cow-calf producers tested forage quality in 2018.[4]
  • 62.22% of 120 cattle farmers surveyed in India were satisfied with prophylactic veterinary services in 2024.[52]

Value proposition in the cattle farming industry

  • $3,055.44 per head was the reported actual value of National Beef cattle with genetic-merit premiums in August 2024.[53]
  • $5.79 per hundredweight was the average premium for calves enrolled in VAC45 value-added programs in U.S. auction data from 2021–2022.[54]
  • $5.73 per hundredweight was the average premium for calves enrolled in NHTC programs in U.S. auction data from 2021–2022.[54]
  • 20.5% of cattle surveyed in the U.S. National Beef Quality Audit had electronic identification tags in 2022.[11]
  • 28.4 billion pounds was U.S. beef production in 2022, reflecting productivity gains from cattle genetics and feeding techniques.[55]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Emissions-linked metrics and monitoring are tracked alongside ethics controls; JBS reported 85% of processed cattle from direct suppliers enrolled in the Transparent Livestock Platform monitoring program in 2024.

Sustainability in the cattle farming industry

  • 53% was the increase in dairy cow milk production from 2005 to 2025, while total dairy GHG emissions increased 22%.[56]
  • 813 Australian cattle producers were surveyed in March-April 2024 to measure adoption of sustainability practices.[57]
  • 66% of California Dairies Inc. milk was produced on farms implementing at least one methane-reduction project, according to the company’s latest disclosure.[58]
  • 944.8 million tonnes of cow and buffalo milk production were included in the Dairy Sustainability Framework calculations for 2024.[56]
  • 29% of global milk production was covered by the Dairy Sustainability Framework in 2024.[56]

ESG in the cattle farming industry

  • 25.3% was Danone’s reduction in fresh-milk methane emissions in 2024 compared with its 2020 baseline.[59]
  • 3,054 kilotonnes of CO2-equivalent methane emissions were reported for Danone’s fresh-milk dairy category in 2024.[59]
  • $388.64 million was invested by JBS in animal-welfare research, training and capital-improvement projects.[60]
  • 5.5% was the increase in carbon sequestration by U.S. dairy producers from 2007 to 2020.[61]
  • 85% of JBS processed cattle from direct suppliers were enrolled in the Transparent Livestock Platform monitoring program in 2024.[60]

Ethics in the cattle farming industry

  • 116 Ethics Line cases were recorded in Mexico by JBS in 2024.[62]
  • 9,092 grievances were submitted through JBS’s Ethics Line globally in 2024.[62]
  • 18 languages were supported by JBS’s 24/7 Ethics Line across its operating countries in 2024.[62]
  • 12 Ethics Line cases were recorded in Australia by JBS in 2024.[62]
  • 6,556 Ethics Line cases were recorded in Brazil by JBS in 2024.[62]

CSR in the cattle farming industry

  • 97% of evaluated U.S. dairy farms had an established process for employees to report safety concerns in 2023-24.[61]
  • 67–75% of non-family U.S. dairy employees completed continuing education across stockmanship, calf care, transport and euthanasia training.[23]
  • 44% was the improvement in the U.S. dairy farm incidence rate for non-fatal injuries or illnesses between 2017 and 2023.[61]
  • 752 workforce-development evaluations were conducted on U.S. dairy farms during 2023-24.[61]
  • 130,000 non-family employees worked on U.S. dairy farms, according to the 2023-24 sector report.[61]

Circular economy in the cattle farming industry

  • 2,010 megawatts of fossil-fuel generation capacity could potentially be displaced by U.S. livestock biogas systems.[63]
  • 29.9 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions could be reduced annually by anaerobic digestion on potential U.S. dairy farms.[63]
  • 16 million megawatt-hours of annual energy generation potential was estimated for technically feasible U.S. livestock biogas systems.[63]
  • 22,000 tons of nearby creamery organic byproducts were co-digested annually with 9,000 tons of dairy manure at a Massachusetts farm example.[63]
  • 8,000 large U.S. dairy and hog operations were estimated to be technically feasible sites for biogas recovery systems.[63]

Carbon footprint in the cattle farming industry

  • 71% of U.S. enteric-fermentation methane emissions came from beef cattle in 2021.[63]
  • 185 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions came from livestock digestive fermentation in the United States in 2024.[64]
  • 140 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions came from U.S. beef cattle in 2024.[64]
  • 139.1 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent methane emissions came from U.S. beef-cattle enteric fermentation in 2021.[63]
  • 35% of U.S. agricultural GHG emissions came from cattle in 2024.[64]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Trade flows and regional supply gaps appear in import sourcing and route updates, including the Douglas, Arizona port of entry for Mexican cattle reopening on August 24, 2026.

Globalization in the cattle farming industry

  • 15% of U.S. beef imports came from Brazil in 2022.[4]
  • 24% of U.S. beef imports came from Australia in 2022.[4]
  • 22% of U.S. beef imports came from Canada in 2022.[4]
  • 60.4 million metric tons of beef and veal were forecast for global production in 2024.[71]
  • 42% of U.S. beef exports by volume went to Japan and South Korea combined in 2024.[4]

Cultural adaptation in the cattle farming industry

  • 927 kilograms per animal was the annual productivity of indigenous and non-descript cattle in India in 2014–15.[17]
  • 35% of Indian households choosing more indigenous cattle cited better milk quality for household consumption as a motivation.[72]
  • 24% of Kenyan households keeping crossbred cattle practiced pure zero grazing.[73]
  • 1,343.2 kilograms per animal was the annual productivity of indigenous and non-descript cattle in India in 2024–25.[17]
  • 80% of surveyed dairy households in Nellore, India, preferred indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds suited to hot and humid conditions.[74]

Supplier management in the cattle farming industry

  • 8,500 animal suppliers worked with the reporting meat company in 2023.[75]
  • 10 beef production facilities were supplied by JBS USA Beef’s family farm and ranch partners in 2021.[19]
  • $12.5 billion was paid by JBS USA Beef to family farm and ranch partners for cattle in 2021.[19]
  • More than 7 million cattle were purchased by JBS USA Beef from family farm and ranch partners in 2021.[19]
  • 31,100 family farms and ranches supplied cattle to JBS USA Beef in 2021.[19]

Stakeholder management in the cattle farming industry

  • $275.8 billion was the revenue of 1,620 U.S. farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives in fiscal year 2024.[76]
  • 4.5% was the decrease in U.S. cooperative marketing sales from 2023 to 2024.[76]
  • $174.4 billion was the marketing sales of U.S. farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives in 2024.[76]

Distribution channels in the cattle farming industry

  • 97.3% of surveyed Kansas beef producers considered increased direct-to-consumer sales desirable.[77]
  • 30% of surveyed Kansas beef producers increased production to meet higher direct-marketed beef demand after 2020.[77]
  • 13.0% of surveyed Pennsylvania beef producers sold finished cattle directly to packers live in 2025.[78]
  • 5.7% of surveyed Pennsylvania beef producers used online cattle markets in 2025.[78]
  • 32.3% of surveyed Pennsylvania beef producers sold finished cattle through a sale barn in 2025.[78]

Key questions about the cattle farming industry

What is the U.S. market size for cattle farming in 2025?
U.S. cattle and calf cash receipts totaled $133.7 billion in calendar year 2025.
Is the cattle farming market growing into 2026?
USDA projects U.S. cattle and calf receipts to increase by $7.0 billion, or 5.2%, in 2026.
Which companies lead the cattle farming industry?
Minerva Foods and Cargill are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 cattle farming ranking with an Overall score of 9.1 each.
Which technology shifts matter most for cattle operations?
In the U.S., 53% of dairy farms and 30% of beef farms used barn-camera monitoring, and 46% of dairy farms and 24% of beef farms used a herd-management system.
How concentrated is the cattle sector’s structure?
Feedlots with capacity of at least 1,000 head accounted for 82.7% of U.S. cattle on feed on January 1, 2026; USDA describes cattle processing as the most concentrated major U.S. meat-processing industry.
What constraints affect cattle supply and pricing during 2026?
Tight supplies support prices; USDA forecasts farm-level cattle prices to rise 5.8% in 2026 and wholesale beef prices to rise 8.8%.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Cattle Farming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cattle-farming-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Cattle Farming Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/cattle-farming-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Cattle Farming Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cattle-farming-industry-statistics.

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