Beef prices surged to an all-time high in July as the market grappled with consistently strong demand and long-term issues in domestic production.

According to the latest consumer price index, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics published on Tuesday, the beef and veal index rose by 2.5% in July, compared to 0.2% for the broader food category. This capped an 11.3% increase over the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, the price of ground beef and uncooked beef steaks has risen by 11.5% and 12.4%, respectively, both now at record levels.

    • krashmo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      11 days ago

      If by fine you mean “destroying the Amazon to keep eating steaks” then yes, you’re correct

    • Buffalox@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 days ago

      Here in Denmark meat has become a lot more expensive the past couple of years.
      500g used to be a standard package almost everywhere, but now 500g is reduced to 400g, and despite being 20% smaller, it is more expensive!

      But at least prices have stabilized here, while the opposite seems to be the case in USA.

  • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    40
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    11 days ago

    who largely attribute this to declining cattle herds that are incapable of meeting demand, as well as a growing reliance on imports and periodic battles with adverse weather.

    So this is Republican’s climate denial and tariffs that are the cause. Got it, shame that Democrats won’t.

    • The_v@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      11 days ago

      The cause is 100% the orange morons tariffs on this one.

      Beef prices are cyclical. This is because beef producers have a lag time between price increases and their ability to increase their herds (2-3 years).

      Historically when beef prices go up, domestic producers sell down their herds to capitalize on the higher pricing. Then imports increase to meet the demand and prices slump. It’s usually only a year or two of high prices and 7-8 years of low prices. Producers are conditioned to sell down their herds when prices are high then slowly rebuild them when prices are low.

      Enter the orange moron:

      Prices were at a normal cyclical high when he started throwing his tantrum and shitting in his diaper. With all the tariffs, producers in other countries decreased their stocking levels… So prices are soaring.

      Demand has remained stable because the largest market is fast food chains. Guess who has spent the past 5 years jacking up prices and making record corporate profits?

      Now for more bad news.

      Hay prices are beyond depressed. With the decrease in herd size this is normal as supply increases. Again the export market usually absorbs the supply readily with the cheaper pricing. Then as beef prices fall, hay prices climb as producers rebuild their herds. Except the orange moron stepped in and killed the export market. So prices are very low, and supply is very high. We are talking high enough that there will be a shit ton of “mysterious” hay stack fires this fall for insurance claims.

      Beef producers and hay producers are often the same operation. Since hay is worthless right now they can not build up their herds and have to keep selling animals to make ends meet.

      So the prices at the store are only going to climb higher. Meanwhile the producers are stuck facing diminishing returns as their herd size decreases.

      In summary, beans are looking pretty affordable right now.

      • SarcasticMan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        10 days ago

        As the man said, “I ain’t got a dime in these old worm-out blue jeans so I’ll stop eating steak and go back to beans.”

    • rigatti@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      11 days ago

      I know you’re fucking around, but we… did get the laptop? That’s what the whole laptop controversy was about- the contents of the laptop.

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      11 days ago

      The ones that can afford it will still run around telling anyone else, from vegans, to the merely plant-based curious, to those just cutting out red meat for the blatantly obvious health reasons that they’ll eat more meat for them. Because that’s such a knee-slapper.

      The ones that cannot afford it will whine that they “aren’t getting their protein” (🤦‍♂️ and FFS, the way “protein” is marketed in this country is truly absurd) because of Joe Biden, Obama, Hillary, the gays, drag queen story hour, the Bilderbergers, etc., because the amorphous THEY want them to eat bugs and own nothing, or whatever the fuck the black helicopter crowd is saying these days.

    • FackCurs@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      11 days ago

      The carrot: prices are too high, lentils and beans are much cheaper

      The stick: ticks spreading veganism

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    11 days ago

    I wonder when it will hit the true cost.

    Meanwhile, the dolts in red hats are going state to state and outlawing cultivated meat.