Wyoming Farmers Face Mixed Yields, but Ranchers Cash In as Beef Prices Soar

Wyoming’s ag producers are taking a mid-year breather—and there’s a lot to unpack. Crop yields are a mixed bag, but cattle ranchers are seeing green as beef prices hit record highs.

Over in southeast Wyoming, wheat farmers are feeling the sting of a dry winter and a late-arriving spring. According to Brett Moline, policy director for the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, wheat yields are down about a third compared to previous years.

“They still got a crop, but that late rain just didn’t help the dryland fields much,” Moline said.

Elsewhere in the state, things are looking a bit brighter. Farmers in the northeast corner and Bighorn Basin are reporting solid crop conditions. But the hay situation in western Wyoming is a little dicey due to low irrigation water levels. Despite that, Moline expects hay prices to stay about the same as last year.

On the cattle side of things, Wyoming ranchers are enjoying a serious upswing. Beef prices are the highest they’ve ever been, and that’s putting extra cash in ranchers’ pockets.

“There’s concern that prices might turn some people away from beef,” Moline admitted. “But for those of us who love it—we’re eating it no matter what.”

A big factor in the price jump? Less competition from imported cattle. The US has recently clamped down on livestock coming in from Mexico due to a parasitic fly infestation, which means more demand for American beef.

While beef is booming, ranchers are still keeping a wary eye on trade policy—especially anything involving tariffs and equipment costs.

Moline pointed out that a lot of ranch equipment parts come from Mexico and Canada, and while some may be exempt under trade agreements, former President Trump’s 25% tariff on imported car parts could drive up costs across the board.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Moline said. “We just don’t know exactly how things will shake out.”

The original story by Caitlin Tan for Wyoming Public Radio.