HENDRICKS, Minn. — Historic cattle prices are creating strong returns for livestock producers, but a southwest Minnesota rancher says higher costs mean profitability still requires careful management.
Danny Vos, who operates a cow-calf and finishing operation near Hendricks, says the current market has been good for established producers, though it would be difficult for someone trying to get started today.
“It’s been darn good I guess. It would be a tough thing to get into now with the high prices, so it’s good to be in it I guess before this comes. But we’ve got to tread pretty lightly here and make sure we can all stay profitable.”
Vos says production costs have increased across the board, including fuel and transportation, adding pressure despite the strong cattle market.
“Everything has kind of went up. I know fuel is high, but if you’re going to go buy good cattle and truck them an extra 100 miles, and it’s cheap at the end of the day I guess. But yeah, it is concerning. I hope things kind of get figured out and we can get things flowing again like it was.”
Vos recently completed a new cattle-working and load-out area on his farm to improve the efficiency of his operation.
