Ranchers characterize 2006 as a good year overall. “2006 was a good year. Prices were good. They were not quite as good as the year before but we did get back some of the markets that we’d lost overseas,” says Peter Bradford, a Booneville-area rancher.

Improving weather following a rough spring helped ranchers reach a better bottom line than they had expected. “The weather this spring, with it being so wet right in the middle of calving – we are in the extreme northeastern corner of the state – was a real challenge,” says Dan Byrne, a Tule Lake rancher.

The strong domestic demand meant cattle prices remained favorable for ranchers, and Asian markets began to re-open to American beef. Producers say increasing prices for corn and continued high fuel prices could offset some of the gains they've seen.

Source: Central Valley Business Times