Wichita ? At a time when the consumer appetite for beef is waning amid the economic downturn, the number of cattle going into feedlots in Kansas and across the nation has also taken a steep dive.

The latest cattle-on-feed statistics come at a time of high input costs for fattening the beef and deep losses for the nation’s cattle-feeding industry. Besides the high cost of grain, weather conditions also have affected cattle movement.

On Monday, the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported that the state had 2.23 million head of cattle in the its large feedyards as of Nov. 1. That number is down 8 percent from the same month a year ago, but up 3 percent from last month.

Many smaller feedlots have been empty this fall and have been put up for sale.

Cattlemen during October also placed 15 percent fewer cattle on feed, meaning the available slaughter supply will remain tight in the coming months.

Industry experts say the economic downturn may continue to affect the demand for beef, particularly more expensive cuts such as tenderloin, as cash-strapped consumers turn to cheaper cuts or to chicken or pork.