HENDERSON, Texas — The excessive heat we’re experiencing this summer is really taking a toll on one of the area’s biggest industries, the cattle market.
Ranchers are struggling as input cost like hay, feed, medication and other items continue to rise in price.
The Hunt Livestock Exchange host auctions every Monday, and as of right now cattle sales are up slightly.
It’s due in part to ranchers selling their cattle.
"First we're gonna need the rain and that’ll level everything out," said Andrew Jordan, an agriculture businessman. "I kind of look it this way, if you keep driving feed, cost the product up, the consumer won't be able to afford it. Things just got to where the prices are too far up. I always tell everybody that the math don't work."
The excessive heat really plays a factor in the cattle market. One employee at the auction said they see about 800 to 900 cattle a week, but within the past two weeks they’ve seen around 1,100 on average.
"I’m selling all my cold cows, anything that’s old and fat has got to go," Jordan said. "If I have a calf that looks pretty decent then the calf is gonna go."
Cut Beef in Tyler also sells cattle in area auctions.
"Those are cattle that we call cold cattle in which we determined for whatever reason, we're not going to keep on the ranch," said J Scott Herod, owner of Cut Beef. "Most of our cattle either go into our beef operation, or they go into our reproduction operation."
Herod said the company is trying to keep input costs at a minimum by keeping everything local.
"We are continuing to take cows to the sale barns as needed," Herod said. "We have seen a drop in price, but as far as our volume we are consistent with where we've always usually been. But, we understand there's going to be fluctuations in that market."
So if you’re thinking about joining the cattle industry, Jordan has this food for thought.
"If you want to get rich this isn’t the business to be in," Jordan said. "But I love it, I've been doing it all my life and I tell everybody I'll probably be found on a pasture with a pack of feed on my shoulder. I’ll be doing what I enjoy."
The more we cover the cattle industry the more we keep hearing the same quote, and that is everyone is “praying for rain” to end this cycle of excessive heat.