# O2 l- g8 M kNorth American cattle ranchers say they’ve been forced to cut the size of their herds because of dry weather in recent years, including in California, Texas and prairie states and provinces. 0 ]& |4 z( u9 m* f/ N' F4 _7 o5 M 4 |+ A+ e* Q ]1 t$ XThe U.S. Department of Agriculture said earlier this week the price of a pound of fresh beef is the highest it’s been since the mid-1980s.$ Q5 J; t2 I3 C6 @7 H2 b L& T- T8 V
+ c# \' J' o1 H- XThe department also said the number of beef cows in America is at its lowest level since 1951.