The cattle industry is a long way from how tight placements could get in the coming months, says the University of Missouri’s Scott Brown. In 2015 and early 2016, the industry was a little below 20.5 million head of placements. Today the industry is at about 22 and a half million head.

Brown says numbers will continue to get tighter. In February, heifer processing numbers were up by 39,000 head. That suggests heifers are not being held back. The industry still needs to see some forage recovery in parts of cattle country before widespread expansion occurs.

Read more about the cattle supply here.