Why Is Beef So Expensive?
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Transcript
1. Record prices
Beef prices hit record highs in 2026, up about 9% in a single year.
2. Fewer cattle
The reason: America has fewer cattle than at almost any time since the 1950s.
3. Drought
Years of drought dried up pastures and made hay costly.
So ranchers sold cows they would normally have kept to breed.
4. Border closed
A flesh-eating pest, the screwworm, also kept cattle from Mexico out of the US for months.
5. Slow to rebuild
Rebuilding is slow. It takes years for a heifer kept back for breeding to turn into more beef.
6. Sell or keep
With prices this high, selling a cow pays better than keeping her. That slows the rebuild.
7. More imports
What could help: more imports. The US has eased tariffs on lean beef from some countries.
8. Rain
And rain. Greener pastures let ranchers keep more cows and grow their herds again.
9. When?
USDA still expects beef to cost more in 2027, just rising more slowly.
Many economists say real relief may not come until 2028 or later.