Which US State Produces The Most Beef? - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

Which US State Produces The Most Beef? - Tasting Table? ›

Texas leads beef production in the U.S. with over 12.5 million cattle, with Nebraska being the second leading producer.

Nebraska beef is known internationally for its flavor, tenderness, and quality.

Texas stands as the undisputed leader, boasting a staggering 4.115 million head of beef cows. This remarkable figure accounts for nearly 15 percent of all beef cows in the United States. The beef cattle industry is a cornerstone of American agriculture, providing a significant contribution to the nation's economy.

Tyson Foods (TSN 1.18%), the nation's largest beef producer. Tyson facilities can process up to 175,000 cattle per week.

When most Americans think about firmly-fleshed roasts or juicy steaks, they are thinking about beef. During the 1950s and '60s, Nebraska's license plates carried the nickname "The Beef State." And with good reason, the beef industry is Nebraska's single largest industry, driving much of the state's economy.

Angus Cattle

These days, the top percentage of Angus beef is favored by high-end restaurants and meat distributors because of its consistently outstanding quality.

Texas is the Argentina of the United States. Not only for its pride and passion, but also because it's the top beef producing state in the union, which explains the appearance of two cities from the state on our list.

Montana. Montana is renowned for its high consumption of red meat, particularly beef, driven by its strong ranching tradition and large cattle population. Studies reveal that Montana residents consume more red meat than anywhere else in the country, with an average intake of steaks and burgers three to four days a week ...

Hereford, Texas is known as “The Beef Capital of the World”. But, the “The Windmill City” is much more than just a cattle capital.

Nebraska: The Beef state

It's the engine that powers the state's economy with the beef cattle industry having an unmistakable impact on almost everyone in Nebraska.

Who are the big 4 meat packers? ›

Four giant companies – that's right, FOUR – Tyson, Cargill, and Brazil-based National Beef and JBS, now control 85% of the U.S. beef market. WH Group (Chinese), JBS, Hormel, and Tyson control about 67% of the pork market. Tyson and Pilgrims Pride control about 45% of the chicken market. Who exactly are The Big 4?

JBS S.A. is a Brazilian company that is the largest meat processing enterprise in the world, producing factory processed beef, chicken, salmon, pork, and also selling by-products from the processing of these meats. It is headquartered in São Paulo. It was founded in 1953 in Anápolis, Goiás.

With marbling resembling an artistic masterpiece and a level of tenderness so superior you might as well be eating butter itself, there is no wonder why Japanese Wagyu beef is renowned for being 'the best beef in the world'.

Texas, the state with the most cattle in the United States, boasts an impressive population of 4,475,000 cows. With vast expanses of land and a favorable climate for grazing, Texas has long been associated with ranching and cattle production.

South Dakota stands out as the state with the highest ratio of cattle to people. With a population of 887,770, it has a whopping 3,550,000 cattle, making the ratio an astonishing 4.00 cattle per person. This means there are four times as many cattle in South Dakota as there are people!

Because Nebraska uses the majority of its land for growing crops, in particular corn, ranchers are able to easily access locally grown corn, and other grains. Which in turn contributes to a better flavor. Corn's abundance of protein, energy, and how easy corn is to digest in the stomach systems of cattle.

India ranks 5th in the world in terms of meat production. The total meat production in the country is 9.77 Mn Tonnes in the year 2022-23. The top 5 meat producing States are Maharashtra (12.25%), Uttar Pradesh (12.14%), West Bengal (11.63%), Andhra Pradesh (11.04%) and Telangana (10.82%).

Nebraska's location provides expansive and diverse natural resources, making it virtually perfect for agriculture usage. Through growing crops, processing plants, feedlots, ninety-one percent of the land in Nebraska is being utilized by farms and ranches. There are 19,000 cattle ranches in Nebraska too!

Angus: This is the most popular breed of beef cattle. Their meat quality is excellent and they provide 50 percent of their weight in the meat. Highland Cattle: Though they are not as popular as they once were, they are still in demand by people who know love their meat.