PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A new USDA report paints a stark picture of the nation’s beef supply, and Valley restaurants are already feeling the impact.

The latest Cattle on Feed report shows November inventories dropped to 11.7 million head, a 2.2 percent decrease from a year earlier. It marks the 12th consecutive month of decline, pushing feedlot numbers to their lowest point in eight years.

Experts say the shrinking supply, combined with widespread processing plant closures, will likely keep beef prices elevated for years. Ranchbot CEO Andrew Coppin said the industry is now managing cattle numbers that resemble mid-20th-century levels.

“We’ve sort of got the same herd sizes we had back in the 1950s,” Coppin said. “In the 1950s, there were only about 180 million Americans. Today there are

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