Livestock

Beef is the single largest business in American agriculture, according to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. And they have a lot of corn to thank for it.

In South Dakota, 15 percent of our corn crop is fed to livestock. And of agriculture’s $21.3 billion impact on the state’s economy, livestock production makes up $5.7 billion. Meaning South Dakota’s cattle producers, pork producers and dairy operations are among our best customers.

Demand for corn as animal feed has actually flattened as livestock operations improve efficiencies and increase use of distillers grains. And by 2019, the industry is expected to consume just 40 percent of corn—down from 42 percent today. In fact, the USDA says use of corn for industrial products and food processing will surpass animal feed in the 2009 harvest season.

Here’s where we come in. South Dakota Corn supports Ag United for South Dakota, a nonprofit group dedicated to keeping our state’s 31,300 family farms and ranches growing strong. It’s just one of the ways we’re working to keep our state livestock industry healthy and maintain our number one market for corn.

Because every grower knows, a state with a healthy livestock industry is a state with a healthy corn industry.