As the world's leading beef producer, the United States holds a dominant position in this globally significant industry. With beef farms accounting for over a third of all U.S. farms, it's no surprise that the nation's cattle holdings are substantial and varied. The U.S. beef industry is broadly divided into cow-calf operations focused on raising calves and cattle feeding operations charged with preparing cattle for production. Although these operations are found across all fifty states, the total number of beef cows varies significantly from state to state.
We delve into the state of beef production by examining the number of cattle in each state. This count provides valuable insights into the beef production capacities across the U.S., as states high on cattle count naturally tend towards higher beef production.
From the dataset, we can deduce several key findings: