Money Was Made On Livestock In South Dakota Last Year

South Dakota livestock producers last year rebounded from drought in 2012 in a big way.

That's the conclusion of the Farm and Ranch Business Management Program at Mitchell Technical Institute. It concluded that the average South Dakota cattle rancher made a profit of more than $36 per cow last year, compared to a $27 loss per cow the year before.

Jared Hofer at Mitchell Technical Institute tells The Daily Republic newspaper that cattle prices also rose last year, helping offset a slight increase in the cost of maintaining a cow.

Hog farmers in the state also had a good year in 2013. The average hog-finishing operation in South Dakota made just under $16 per 100 pounds of pork produced, compared with less than $2 per 100 pounds in 2012.

Sources: Associated Press, The Daily Republic