Why the U.S. cattle herd is at a 75-year low — and what it means for beef prices

Cows stand in a feed barn at Hallstead Farms in Lexington, Ky., in February. Although the U.S. cattle herd size has shrunk in recent decades, U.S. beef production has remained strong, partly because cattle now weigh hundreds of pounds more than they did in the 1950s. Luke Sharrett for NPR

Luke Sharrett for NPR

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