Thousands of cows died in the Panhandle fires. How will that impact beef prices?

As the largest wildfire in Texas history ripped through the Panhandle in late February, thousands of cattle burned along with more than a million acres of grasslands.

Officials estimate more than 7,000 cows died from the Smokehouse Creek fire and four other fires that ignited in the region. That number is expected to rise as some of the thousands of cows that suffered burned udders, singed lungs and charred hooves succumb to their injuries or are euthanized, Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller told CBS News.

More than two weeks after they started, the fires are still blazing. As of March 11, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was 89% contained and the Windy Deuce Fire was 94% contained, reports The Texas Tribune.

The fires, two of which officials say were started by power lines, rocked the largest cattle region in the nation. Agricultural losses in the area are expected to amount to a $219.8 million drop in gross product, according to Texas economic consulting firm The Perryman Group.

So what does that mean for beef supply and prices?

Not much, actually, said David Anderson, a livestock economist at the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics.

“I don’t think we’re going to see any market impact of this in terms of price to consumers,” Anderson said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News.

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The number of cows killed in the fires is small compared to the nearly 12 million cows that make up the state’s cattle industry, Anderson explained, so the loss isn’t significant enough to influence market pricing.

However, he added, consumers will likely pay more for beef this year for other reasons.

To read more, visit our partners at the Dallas Morning News.