Missouri Cuts Heifer Program Fee to $2
The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program lowered its enrollment fee from $5 to $2 per head to attract more participants.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Agriculture
The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program has reduced its enrollment fee from $5 per head to $2 per head. The change is intended to bring more heifers into the program in coming years.
Why it matters
Producers previously were unwilling to enroll all heifers or any heifers if they only planned to sell a small percentage. Shifting the fee onto heifers that get tagged rather than those that enroll initially aims to lower that barrier for Missouri cattle producers.
Gross heifer sales since 1996 total almost $59 million, with heifers sold to buyers in 21 states. The 2020 enrollment of 5,048 heifers rose 2% over 2019, while the program's effect on the Missouri economy is measured in tracked sales rather than projected figures for the fee change.
The players
University of Missouri Extension
The University of Missouri Extension is the land-grant outreach arm of the University of Missouri that administers the Show-Me-Select program and coordinates heifer sales through its livestock specialists.
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service is the federal agency that compiles national agricultural data, including the 2021 report ranking Missouri third in beef head count.
The details
The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program is the first statewide program of its kind in the U.S. Participants follow a recipe for screening, development, breeding and selection of replacement females, and MU Extension livestock specialists coordinate sales of spring- and fall-calving heifers.
Timeline
The program began in 1996, when participation and sales tracking started.
The 2020 sale season recorded 5,048 enrolled heifers and $3 million in sales to Missouri.
A February 2021 weather event was cited as likely prompting further cow sales.
Industry Dynamics
Missouri slipped to third in the nation in beef head count in the 2021 USDA NASS report, down from its earlier standing. The fee cut is an attempt to reverse enrollment hesitancy in a state whose cattle numbers have shifted competitively against other top cow-producing states.
Missouri cattle producers can now enroll replacement heifers at $2 per head rather than $5. The lower fee applies at enrollment, so producers can participate without the upfront cost that previously discouraged them.
The takeaway
Producers weighing whether to enroll should consider that the fee now applies to heifers that are tagged for sale, not every heifer enrolled. The change lowers the cost of testing the program without committing every animal to it.
Further reading
Explore more Missouri agriculture coverage to see how the state's cattle industry is shaping up.
More information
Find details on the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program through the University of Missouri Extension.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Farm Progress.
