Cattle auctions on the decline

A half a century ago, cattle auctions were a booming business in the Big Country. With sales somewhere every day of the week, auctions were thriving. Each week, auction arena stands would fill up with ranchers eager to buy and sell livestock. But today when the dust settles, the auctioneer’s voice fades and the last trailer is loaded, things are quieter at most area auctions. “We have lost cattle auctions all over, and over time the number of cattle have declined in the U.S.,” said David Anderson an extension economist from Texas A&M. “They (auction barns) make a living by selling cattle and as the total number of cattle decline, there are fewer to go around and it makes it tougher to stay open.” As the number of ranchers decreases, so does the number of cattle auctions. Haskell, Brownwood and Ranger have all lost auctions in recent times. The auctions that remain have trimmed their operations. “People are getting older, and kids are moving to the city and not taking over the family business,” said Randy Carson, who bought Abilene Auction in 2001 with his son Cody. Carson, 60, started working at the local cattle auction when he was just 17. He gets a nostalgic twinkle in his eyes when he remembers the good old days — 30 or 40 years ago. “Back then we had sales Monday, Tuesday and Thursday,” Carson remembered. “The farmers owned cattle and that is just not the case anymore.” And, back then, the bankers wanted three crops, wheat, cotton and cattle...read more