Date of Award:

5-1959

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Economics

Department name when degree awarded

Agricultural Economics

Committee Chair(s)

N. Keith Roberts

Committee

N. Keith Roberts

Committee

E. M. Morrison

Abstract

The beef cattle industry in Utah is of major importance in the economy of the state. In terms of cash receipts it is the largest single agricultural enterprise. In 1957 cash receipts from the sale of cattle and calves amounted to $38,405,000. This figure represents approximately 70 percent of cash receipts from the sale of all meat animals. It comprises 33 percent of cash receipts from the sale of livestock and livestock products and 24 percent of total cash receipts from farm marketings (2).

The production of beef animals will continue to assume a position of importance in Utah's agriculture, inasmuch as the land resources as well as other factors favor this type of production. Of 52.7 million acres of land in the state, approximately 46 million acres, or 88 percent, is classed as rangeland. Due to the existence of a certain amount of unuseable land, it has been estimated that the net effective rangeland area does not exceed 41 million acres or 78 percent of the land area of the state.

Although the existing forage resources and climatic conditions over much of the state are better adapted to sheep production than for beef, 56 percent of the annual forage requirement of beef cattle is obtained from range lands. During the summer time 90 percent of the feed requirements of beef cattle are provided by range forage (10).

Cattle finishing is an important enterprise in Utah and makes a great contribution to the cattle industry. Many factors favor cattle feeding operations as supplementary enterprises to the diversified type of farming carried on in the irrigated valleys. The production of grain crops and roughages is conducive to extensive feeding of cattle because a home market is provided for such feed. Certain by-products such as beet tops, beet pulp, cull potatoes, and canning crop wastes can be utilized to good advantage in feeding cattle to improve their slaughter condition. Cattle feeding also makes possible the productive use of labor and equipment which might otherwise be unemployed during winter months and provides for the maintenance and improvement of soil fertility.

Dairying is also of major importance in the state. Dairy animals are eventually utilized as meat and hence, contribute to the size of the beef industry.

Favorable market conditions exist for the cattle industry in Utah. Trading and marketing of cattle is facilitated by terminal markets located at Ogden and Salt Lake City and by twelve auction markets throughout the state. A demand exists for feeder animals within the state as well as in other areas to the east and to the west. Large numbers of slaughter animals are moved into packing plants within Utah. The rapid growth of population on the West Coast has greatly increased the demand for meat in that region, and since with modern transportation facilities California markets are readily accessible to Utah, sizeable quantities of beef are moved in that direction both as live animals and as dressed meat.

There is reasonable assurance that the demand in the United States will continue to increase for western feeder and slaughter cattle. Population is expected to expand; income per person will undoubtedly continue to increase; and the consumers' meat preference is expected to continue to favor beef. Therefore, the future suggests more mouths to feed and all mouths wanting more beef (11).

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