Cattle in Arkansas
Arkansas’ beef producing families work hard every day to deliver high-quality wholesome products to your family’s dinner table.
We hope this can be a resource for you to learn about the product, the family-owned and operated businesses and our carefully developed practices for producing nutritious, safe beef products.
There are nearly 2 million cattle in Arkansas and the farmers and ranchers that care for them also tend the land, over 5 million acres, that supports this dynamic industry. Beef cattle production contributes nearly $500 million to Arkansas’ economy each year, as well as providing employment opportunities in rural communities across the state.
Arkansas Cattle Facts
Total Cattle Inventory in Arkansas (as of Jan. 1, 2017)
1,750,000
Arkansas’ National Ranking in Population of All Cattle (1/1/17)
17th
Number of Cattle Operations (2012 Census)
25,866
Number of Farms with Beef Cows
23,385
Number of Beef Cows (1/1/17)
914,000
Arkansas’ National Ranking in Beef Cows (1/1/17)
11th
Number of Farms with Dairy Cows
123
Dairy Cattle Inventory (1/1/17)
9,000
Cash Receipts from the Sales of Cattle and Calves
$686 Million
Arkansas' cattle industry contributed in excess of $1.592 billion in business activity to Arkansas's economy.
Sources: Arkansas Agricultural Statistics, U.S Department of Agriculture; 2017 Cattle Inventory Report, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture