You are so right the effect on the price of cattle & sheep even during a prolonged drought is quite amazing . I sell livestock for a living & when you see meat processors buying store (skinny) old cows and putting them in feedlots at huge grain prices to provide a better product it is obvious that the demand is ramping up. I have been doing this for 30 odd years & i cannot ever recall seeing this on such a large scale. Putting healthy young yearling cattle in feedlots yes but old cows ..?only a week ago I sold fat angus cows 10-12 yrs old for 257ckg and a few pens later I sold skinny versions of the same animal for 200ckg that went to a feedlot. never seen before.I have a friend who travels to China a few times a year selling his wagyu beef & his take on the Swine fever in China? "whatever numbers the Chinese are telling you add a nought they are lying" it is massive.
