Opinion
Fire up the grill this Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the unofficial kickoff to summer and the culmination of National Beef Month.
As beef prices surge 14% higher than last year’s records, market analysts and cattlemen weigh the impact of shifting demographics and the looming threat of government intervention.
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President Craig Moss argues that current CRP policies stifle land access for livestock, calling for managed grazing to help rebuild the national cattle inventory.
While plant-based alternatives once dominated headlines, new research shows a decline in vegetarianism and a surge in consumer willingness to pay for nutrient-dense beef.
The state-of-the-art facility marks a new era for Idaho’s 100% job-placement meat science program, bridging the gap between academic research and industry needs.
With tight supplies and strong consume demand for beef today, artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how producers manage each animal.
FFA helps young people open doors, build lifelong networks and prepare them for future success.
The beef industry has evolved and consequently, so are the drivers to the industry’s economics.
2026 will be a year of beef demand shifting not disappearing.
In 2026, imports decide how painful the grind gets, exports decide whether the carcass pencils, and policy decides how fast everything can change.
2026 is not the year the cattle cycle “fixes itself.” It is the year the industry learns how to ration a smaller supply base without blowing itself up.
As the beef industry descends on Music City this week, the Farm Journal team is on location to separate the noise from the news and bring you the insights that can impact your bottom line.
New state-of-the-art facilities welcome 2026 NWSS exhibitors and spectators.
Protein is back on top. Ground beef might be the quiet winner, with imports doing the heavy lifting.
There has been meaningful change across every sector of the U.S. beef industry, and while change offers opportunity, it can also increase risk.
Imagine the media, special interest groups and politicians get their way.
Today’s concentration is real, but it’s not the same beast as early 1900s concentration because the governance environment is radically different: stronger safety laws, stronger enforcement, more transparency, more consequences.
A South Dakota cattle producer explains how checkoff funds are being used to reach consumers who eat less beef, have questions about how it’s raised or live in regions where beef demand has room to grow.
The “Big 4" packers are on trial to determine if they suppress cattle bids in a thin cash market, underpay farmers and ranchers, and control what consumers pay for beef.
While producers and consumers define sustainability differently, it is important for beef producers to become part of the story, not ignore it.
Foreign-controlled packers are on trial to determine if their ability to own U.S. plants and import product from affiliated foreign operations allows them to shape domestic prices and supply to the detriment of U.S. producers and consumers.
While the administration makes comments regarding strategies to decrease retail beef prices, they strategies inconsistent with the economics of the cattle industry, particularly when U.S. consumer beef demand has been a significant driver to beef prices.
Were beef price spikes the product of an agreement between meatpackers rather than the predictable result of herd cycles, external events and plant utilization?
Let’s debunk three claims about the beef packing industry.
Breaking down USDA’s new plan, beef demand and the cattle market.
A look at how the beef industry is changing to fit consumer demand with fewer numbers.
There are many costs associated with raising cattle, but a large share of those costs is associated with grazing.