Beef Production in Arkansas

Approximately 30,000 farms in Arkansas produce beef cattle. The average herd size is 30 head with 80 percent of the farms having less than 50 head. About 97 percent of the beef cattle farms are family owned and operated. There are 1.8 million cows and calves with total cash value over $432 million. The total economic impact of the Arkansas beef cattle industry is over $1.4 billion. Beef cattle producers who are applying Extension recommended management practices have improved beef cattle efficiency and profits. The Animal Science section uses a number of activities to educate beef cattle producers about cost-effective management practices. Educational activities include county programs, field days, news articles, beef/forage field days, ration balancing, 300 Day of Grazing Program, Cow Herd Performance Testing Program, On-Farm Bull Testing Program and Beef Quality Assurance. Beef publications are available by contacting your county Extension office. A list of beef related publications is available on our publications page.