VEGA------"Treacherous losses"
That's how the area's latest economic analysis is describing the loss of cattle coming out of the feedlot.
Since we're the Beef Capital of the World, losses in the cattle industry can be felt by almost everyone.
Cattle experts I've talked to today say two sectors in the industry are taking a blow: beef retail, and the feedlot industry.
Cattle prices are down at least $100 per cow compared to last year, and even then they were low.
 If you break those numbers down it means Cattlemen are losing $10 per 100 weight of a cow and the average cow weighs about 1200 pounds.
That means ranchers are making less, but still have high output prices and it's a struggle to break even.
At the Kirkland Feed Yard in Vega alone, there are usually 15,000 cows during this time of year, but right now there are only about 10,000.
"I have been in the business for about 15 years and this is the worst I've seen in the 15 years I've been in it, you talk to some people and it's probably been since the 70s since it's been this bad before," says Manager Robby Kirkland.
Amarillo National Bank says Amarillo's economy is commodity-based and all commodities have fallen sharply this cycle, but since our economy is more diversified now than in the 70's and 80's, it's not boom or bust.