BEEF

Beyond the Spread: Is it Time to Update the USDA Beef Grading Matrix?

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:29:38 GMT

For decades, the Choice-Select spread was the “North Star” for beef demand. But with the U.S. cattle herd at a 70-year low and Select supplies shrinking to just 10% of graded carcasses, Don Close, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, says it’s time to stop reading the old signals and start looking at what the modern consumer actually wants.

The recent inversion in the Choice-Select spread is sparking worry that consumers are “trading down” to cheaper, lower-quality beef. Close says in a recent Terrain Outlook the industry needs to quit overreacting to the old Choice-Select signal and start tracking more relevant indicators. For decades, the Choice-Select spread has been treated as a key gauge of beef demand and consumer preferences. An inverted spread — when Select trades higher than Choice — typically raised a red flag that buyers were shifting toward cheaper product. That narrative, he argues, simply doesn’t fit the current structure of the beef supply.

A Different Market Than the 1990s

Close says the conditions that once made the spread meaningful have changed dramatically.

“In previous years, an inverted spread mattered,” he explains. “But the grading percentage then was about 60% Choice or better and about 40% Select. And the majority of retail grocery chains carried Select product. There were also no branded beef programs, and the percentage of carcasses grading Prime ranged from 2% to 4%.”

Today, the entire grading and merchandising picture looks different.

“Now, retail stores predominantly carry Choice or better product,” Close notes. “It is also common for the percentage of Prime carcasses to be 10% to 15% and for there to be more Prime than Selects in the marketplace.”

In that kind of environment — where Select is a much smaller slice of total production and retailers lean heavily on branded and premium offerings — the old read on the spread doesn’t hold.

“In the current market environment, the spread is a meaningless measurement,” he stresses.

(Terrain)

Select is Scarce, Not Suddenly Popular

If consumers aren’t suddenly preferring Select, why has Select strengthened relative to Choice? Close points first to a structural decline in Select production.

“The main reason is that the supply of Select product has contracted, which can make it appear that there is an increase in demand,” he says. “The supply went from 50% of graded beef carcasses in the 1990s and early 2000s to about 10% currently. As with any commodity product as supply contracts, the price is going to increase.”

That supply-side squeeze is occurring alongside the smallest domestic cattle supply in 70 years. At the same time, tight lean supplies and growing use of blended products are pulling on every available pound of lean beef.

“Even with the escalation in lean beef trimmings because of imports, the supply of lean beef is exceptionally tight,” Close explains. “Processors are searching for any source of lean beef to increase supplies of lean grinding materials.”

He adds Select also still has a defined role in a couple of key channels.

“There is also demand for Select products in institutional use, primarily hospitals,” Close notes. “Select products are also still used in many prepared frozen foods.”

Combine smaller Select production, a historically tight cattle herd and ongoing demand in institutional and processed channels, and Select’s price strength looks more like a scarcity story than a consumer “trade down” signal.

Will This Inversion Last?

Close does not expect today’s situation to be permanent — but he also doesn’t see the inverted spread as a near-term threat.

“Is this going to be a long-term scenario? I certainly don’t think so. Is the inversion of the spread going to disrupt the current market again? I don’t think that’s the case,” he says.

Instead, he points producers to the economics of feeding cattle.

“When the day comes that grain prices escalate and the cost of gain exceeds the value of gain, the market may have to take another look,” Close says. “In that case, the economics would discourage cattle feeders from fattening cattle as much, leading to more Select beef, a lower Select price and a higher Choice price.”

For now, the numbers still favor feeding cattle to higher grades.

“Currently, with cost of gain running around $1 a pound and the value of gain approaching 250, the inversion of the spread will not be a market factor anytime soon,” he summarizes.

(Terrain)

Branded Beef and Prime Demand Call for a New Grading Matrix

Rather than obsess over the Choice-Select spread, Close believes the industry should focus on measures that reflect where beef demand has actually moved.

“A better measurement would be a Choice-branded beef cutout, or a Choice-Prime spread,” he suggests.

That shift would also require updating the grading framework itself.

“The last time USDA beef grading matrix was updated or changed was in 1997,” he explains. “At that time, there were no branded beef products. In my opinion, the grading matrix needs to be updated to incorporate all beef in the upper one-third of Choice and better.”

For Close, the consumer verdict is already in.

“Consumers have proven their demand for ultra-high-quality beef,” he says, pointing to the success of Certified Angus Beef and the expansion of Prime offerings at retail. “Now, protein diets have become the craze. The American consumer is not going to go back to eating a largely Select-based product.”

For producers and market watchers, the message is clear: don’t let an inverted Choice-Select spread distract from the bigger, long-term shift toward higher-quality beef and more relevant pricing signals.

Heavy Steers and Lean Cows: Drivers of the 2026 Ground Beef Market

Tue, 12 May 2026 15:48:30 GMT

In a market defined by record-breaking prices, an unlikely partnership is driving the value of ground beef: 980-lb. carcasses and the lean cull cows needed to balance them out. While fed cattle weights have reached historic highs, they’ve created a massive surplus of fat trim that requires an equally historic amount of lean blending beef to meet consumer demand. This blending math — combined with tight supplies and a shift in culling patterns — is pushing cull cow prices to new heights.

David Anderson, Texas A&M professor and Extension specialist for livestock and food product marketing, in a recent Southern Ag Today article , summarizes that cull cow prices keep climbing.

“While calf and fed cattle prices have continued to set new record highs in the cash and futures market, cull cow prices have continued their slow ascent to new highs as lean beef prices keep pulling cow prices higher,” Anderson explains. “Southern Plains cull cow auction prices increased to almost $180 per cwt in late April, up about $15 per cwt since January. The seasonal price increase has been smaller than normal this year. Cutter-quality cows have increased about $30 per cwt., almost 25%, since the beginning of the year.”

(USDA-AMS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

The Blending Effect: Why 980-lb. Carcasses Need Lean Cows

Blending math is the process of mixing high-fat trim from fed cattle with 90% lean beef from cull cows to meet consumer demand for specific ground beef ratios. Anderson stresses one overlooked boost to lean beef prices has been record-large fed cattle dressed weights. Average federally inspected fed steer dressed weights have remained more than 980 lb. per carcass since late 2025.

“Larger carcasses produce additional fat that requires more lean beef for blending to boost its value as ground beef rather than just tallow entering the fats and oils market,” he says.

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University professor of agricultural economics, says when the beef industry harvests animals bigger than ever, it is also getting more 50% lean and 50% fat trimmings per animal than ever before. He points out most consumers don’t directly consume 50/50, thus it is an input into ground beef production, and it only works if there is more lean to blend with it.

If there is not enough U.S.-produced lean to blend, the next option is to import lean.

Dairy Culling Shifts and the April Pullback

After exceeding slaughter of a year ago through the first 10 weeks of 2026, dairy cow culling pulled back to year-ago levels during April.

“Dairy cow culling typically peaks in January and February each year, then declines into midyear,” Anderson says. “The decline in dairy cow slaughter has pulled down total cow culling as weekly beef cow slaughter has held at steady but low levels. For the year, total dairy cow slaughter is reported up 6% compared to last year while total cow slaughter (beef and dairy) is down 5%.”

(USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

Beef and dairy cow slaughter is reported weekly by region of the U.S. In recent weeks, Anderson says reported regional cow slaughter data has declined due to confidentiality rules that prevent publication if there are too few buyers to prevent revealing any one operation’s actions.

(USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

“The lack of reporting due to confidentiality concerns has been a problem in fed cattle reporting for many years,” Anderson says. “On the positive side, the weekly national cow slaughter data includes all of the regions, including those that could not be reported regionally.”

2026 projected cow culling is based on year-to-date beef cow slaughter.

(Oklahoma State University)

Retention vs. Liquidation: The Impact of Record Calf Values

Anderson says record-high calf prices are likely keeping cows on the ranch or dairy that otherwise would have been culled to get one more calf out of them. As those calves are born and move to weaning, there may be an increase in culling as those cows come to market.

“Cull prices tend to peak midyear, so there is room for cow prices to continue to increase over the next couple of months,” Anderson says. “Beyond just the seasonal pattern arguing for higher prices, cow culling should continue to be lower than last year, further supporting prices. Beef cow slaughter is expected to remain well below a year ago. Better milk prices should restrain dairy cow culling even though the herd remains large.”

Analyst Predicts Cull Cow Prices Will Remain Elevated

Adding to the discussion on cull cow marketing strategies, Don Close, Terrain chief beef analyst, explains, “Growing up in sale barns we always used to say the best day of the year to sell a used cow is the first day of baseball season. There is some grounding in that date. As soon as grass greens, after a producer has kept her and fed hay all winter, he isn’t going to sell her if he has grass, especially if he thinks she is bred. Once she has calved and grass is available, the producer isn’t inclined to do much unless it is a drought or injury issue. At this point they will wait until fall weaning and cow-sorting time.”

He also points out another driving factor for cull cow prices is the strength of ground beef prices supported with the beginning of the grilling season — prepared-meat manufacturers’ demand is at its peak. Hot dog and lunch meat sales go up as children are out of school and with ballpark hot dog consumption.

(USDA-AMS, Livestock Marketing Information Center)

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Trump Plans to Tackle Beef Prices with More Imports

Mon, 11 May 2026 18:06:39 GMT

Update: Late Monday night, the Wall Street Journal reported the president delayed his actions.

Tuesday morning, in response to the delayed signing of the executive orders, a White House official says, “The President is committed to lowering beef and other grocery costs for everyday Americans, and the Administration is accordingly fine-tuning potential executive actions to alleviate temporary shortages in the domestic beef market.”

In response to the potential expansion of imports, R-CALF USA issued a statement sharing the organizations concerns with the potential 200-day suspension of certain tariff-rate quotas (TRQ) for beef.

On Monday, a White House official confirmed the President Trump would sign two executive orders to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market by expanding imports and supporting the renewal of America’s domestic cattle herd, which is currently at a multidecade low.

According to a Wall Street Journal article , “The Trump administration is opening the way to import more steaks and ground beef from overseas, part of a broader effort to address record-high beef prices.”

The WSJ article explains the administration is planning to temporarily reduce tariffs on beef imports as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. “The move would suspend the annual tariff-rate quota — which applies a higher tariff rate after a certain level of beef imports are reached — on all beef-exporting nations, enabling more of the product to enter the U.S. at lower tariff rates.”

Beef prices have seen sizable year over year increases for some time. According to Reuters , although prices for eggs, milk and other grocery staples have fallen since Trump took office in January 2025, beef prices have continued to climb.

Last October, Trump ordered a quadrupling of beef imports from Argentina , and a month later removed his 40% punitive tariff on Brazilian beef and coffee.

Reuters says the moves did little to reverse beef ‌prices, ⁠which are up 12.1% year-over-year in April, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index. Beef is more than 16% more expensive than when Trump returned to office in January 2025.

(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED)

What Does Monday’s Announcement Mean

“There is considerable uncertainty about the details,” says Derrell Peel, State University Extension livestock marketing specialist. “It’s not clear whether this only applies to over-quota tariffs or to the 10% retaliatory tariffs that everyone faces. In any event, I don’t believe this will have large impacts to reduce beef prices in the U.S.”

Peel predicts it may only impact Brazil and perhaps Paraguay. Otherwise it may impact Australia and others as well.

“The market is basically determining beef imports now, albeit with some tariffs,” he explains. “Reducing tariffs might have a minor impact on the quantity of imports but I think it is minimal. If it does have any impacts it will marginally reduce lean processing beef prices and thus ground beef. No impact on steaks.”

David Anderson, Texas A&M professor and Extension specialist for livestock and food product marketing, explains the U.S. has TRQs on beef from a bunch of countries.

“The way it works is that the country can export to us at a low tariff until the quota is filled and then the tariff jumps up to a higher level for the rest of the year,” he explains. “For example, imports from Brazil come in at a very low tariff until the quota is triggered and then the tariff jumps to 26.4%.”

Anderson explains by suspending the TRQ the administration has announced, effectively, a lower tariff on imported beef.

“The majority of what we import is lean trimmings for ground beef so that might suggest any impact might be more on the cull cow side of things. I don’t expect much, if any, price impact from this,” Anderson predicts. “These countries also export beef to China and other places so how much is really available to send here? Existing contracts with other buyers in other countries may impact how much is available right away to come here.”

He adds China has recently announced TRQs on beef and the ones for Australia and Brazil are likely to quite restrictive later in the year.

“That indicates that we might get more imports from those countries later in 2026 due to the Chinese tariff restricting what they can sell in China due to relative prices including the tariff,” he summarizes.

Beef Imports Today

Peel says, “Beef imports increased 18% year over year in 2025 and are up 61.4% since 2022, the year of record U.S. beef production and when the current market run began. Total beef production in 2025 was down 3.6% year over year and is down 8.1% since 2022. More important relative to beef imports, production of nonfed beef (from cull cows and bulls) was down 8.0% last year and is down 24.8% since 2022. In fact, nonfed beef production in 2025 was the smallest total since 2005.”

Peel says in a recent Cow-Calf Corner article , increased beef imports are the market response to declining lean beef supplies due to decreased nonfed beef production since most beef imports are lean processing beef. Higher prices of lean beef in the U.S. prompts increased imports from any of several potential beef import sources.

“The amount of beef imports from various sources depends on several factors including: the country’s ability to produce and export; other export markets for the country; and relative price competitiveness of the country, which depends on exchange rates and tariffs the country faces,” Peel explains.

Peel summarizes the top importing countries since 2022:

Australia — up 251.1%
Canada — up 4.3%
Brazil — up 99.9%
Mexico — down 4%
New Zealand — up 37.2%
Uruguay — up 158.8%

Figure 1: U.S. Beef Import, 2019-2025, Million Pounds, Carcass Weight

(Oklahoma State University)

“Record high U.S. ground beef prices continue to be the focus of political discussion along with the possibility of increased beef imports to address unprecedented lean beef prices,” Peel says. “It is important to remember that beef imports are limited only by market forces that determine the total quantity and the mix of sources supplying beef to the U.S. market.”

The latest data for January show some interesting changes in beef imports. Total January beef imports were up 7.7% year over year and up 86% compared to January 2022, see Figure 2.

Figure 2: Beef Import, January. Total January beef imports were up 7.7% year over year and up 86% compared to January 2022.

(Oklahoma State University)

Peel points out the ost noticeable in Figure 2 is the jump in the other category, up 119% from one year ago.

“The biggest part of these other sources is Paraguay, a new player in the beef import market,” he says. “January beef imports from Paraguay were up 147.4% year over year and accounted for 61.1% of the other category and 10.8% of total monthly beef imports. Paraguay has only been exporting to the U.S. since 2024,”

According to Peel Paraguay was able to capture a significant portion of the “Other Country” quota that Brazil has dominated the past four years. January beef imports from Brazil were down 15.1%year over year. Combined January imports from Brazil and Paraguay were up 5.3% year over year. He says this illustrates that markets are determining the total level of imports and also the distribution of sources of beef imports.

Argentina has been the focus of much of the political discussion about beef imports.

Argentina represented 26.1% of the other category and 2.3% of total beef imports in 2025. Peel says Argentina has been granted an expanded tariff rate quota (TRQ) in 2026. Total beef imports from Argentina in 2025 were more than double the previous quota and were limited by market conditions rather than the quota. In January 2026, imports of Argentina were up 122.5% year over year but still represented just 16.1% of other country imports and 2.8% of total January imports (Figure 2).

Peel adds It’s not clear whether Argentina will be able to fill the additional quota this year. The increase would be at the expense of domestic consumption and/or other export markets in Argentina. Increase in beef imports from Argentina would likely displace some imports from other sources.

“Expected growth in beef imports in 2026 will continue to be determined by market forces and may include some relative increase in imports from Argentina,” Peel summarizes.

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DOJ, USDA Ramp Up Antitrust Investigation Into "Big 4" Beef Packers

Fri, 08 May 2026 18:34:38 GMT

The Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture are intensifying scrutiny of concentration and pricing practices across the meat industry, announcing this week that federal investigators are ramping up a criminal antitrust investigation into the nation’s four largest beef packers.

During a joint press conference Monday at DOJ headquarters, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the effort as part of a broader push to address competition issues in agriculture and food pricing.

“Today we are here to talk about our progress here at the Justice Department to hold meat packers accountable,” Blanche says.

Federal officials allege price-fixing and collusion may have contributed to higher meat prices for consumers, while also limiting competition within the cattle industry.

“We prioritized investigating potential antitrust violations in U.S. cattle and beef markets,” Blanche says. “In the beef industry, the Big Four processors control over 85% of the beef processing market. Two of the Big Four are primarily foreign-owned.”

The “Big Four” — referenced during the press conference — are JBS, Cargill, Tyson and National Beef. The administration argues the current structure of the meat industry allows competitors to exchange competitively sensitive information across the protein sector — practices DOJ says it is now investigating.

DOJ Encourages Whistleblowers to Come Forward

Blanche also encourages whistleblowers within the meatpacking industry to provide information to federal investigators. DOJ says individuals who provide information leading to antitrust convictions or major enforcement actions could qualify for financial rewards.

“The idea of whistleblowers of people coming forward with information they have is one of the best and most efficient ways that we can solve antitrust violations criminally or otherwise,” he says. “And so we just want to make sure people realize that people in this industry realize that we’re putting money where our mouth is. We’re not asking you to come forward and then see what happens. We’re saying if you come forward and if your information results in a finding, in a conviction, and the amount of money is over a million dollars, which in this industry is not a very high bar, that you stand to recover up to 30%. And so we have to incentivize people to make a very difficult choice and come forward with information if they had it.”

R-CALF USA Applauds Investigation

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard says the biggest takeaway from Monday’s announcement is that DOJ is actively seeking public assistance through its antitrust whistleblower program.

“The biggest takeaway was that the Department of Justice is reaching out to the public seeking help through DOJ’s antitrust whistleblower program, to find out what the public knows
about these anticompetitive practices,” Bullard says.

Bullard says R-CALF USA has spent years warning policymakers about growing concentration in the cattle industry.

“We’ve been calling attention and warning that this is a threat to our national security, our economy, and particularly to our food safety here and food security in the United States,” Bullard says.

Rollins Links Herd Decline to Regulatory Pressure

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also focused heavily on the shrinking U.S. cattle herd and declining number of ranchers during Monday’s event.

“In the past decade alone, we’ve lost over 17% of our cattle ranchers,” Rollins says. “More than 100,000 ranches across this country are no more.”

“The low herd size inherited by the Trump administration can be attributed to a variety of factors,” she says. “The biggest one, at least from our perspective, is the radical left’s ongoing assault against ranching as a way of life.”

Today, just four companies — JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef — control roughly 85% of the cattle processing market. That level of concentration has surged from just 25% in 1977 to 71% by 1992, and now to an astonishing 85%.

Together, these companies operate through… pic.twitter.com/s4naYFcjt7
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 4, 2026

Rollins argues drought alone is not responsible for cattle liquidation.

“For years, they used climate alarmism to wage a war on cattle in America,” Rollins says. “And when you pair that with droughts, wildfire, overregulation from previous administrations and volatile markets, this is how we have ended up here today.”

The administration also outlined several policy initiatives it says are designed to support cattle producers, including:

Opening more federal land for grazing
Implementing new “Product of USA” labeling rules
Supporting small processors through a grading pilot program
Updating dietary guidelines to emphasize the role of meat in the American diet

Rollins says additional announcements are expected later this week.

Agri Stats Settlement Targets Information Sharing

The DOJ’s broader push against anticompetitive behavior escalated Thursday when the department announced a proposed settlement with Agri Stats .

Federal officials accuse the company of helping major meat processors share confidential pricing and production data involving chicken, pork and turkey markets for decades.

Under the proposed settlement , Agri Stats would be prohibited from continuing several data-sharing practices DOJ alleges distorted competition and increased prices.

The agreement would also increase market transparency by making more information available to buyers and sellers throughout the supply chain.

Although the Agri Stats case does not involve beef, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro referenced the pending settlement during Monday’s press conference.

“This is like the mathematician’s worst nightmare in terms of monopoly behavior,” Navarro says. “Basically, what the companies in this concentrated industry were doing was individually sending in data on everything, consumers, production, everything in between. And what did that computer do? It spit back what the monopoly price should be.”

With the settlement he explains, “Justice Department said no more. That’s not going to happen on our watch and that case I believe is going to be settled well or at trial in a way which not only will take care of that problem but implicate some of the bad actions that we’ve seen by the two American companies Tyson and Cargill and JBS on the Brazilian side along with National Beef.”

1 – The Department of Justice continues to bring affordability to the American people. Today, we announced a historic settlement with Agri Stats, whose business model directly raised the price of chicken, turkey, and pork in local grocery stores across our nation. 🐔🐖⚖️
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) May 7, 2026

On X, Blanche says the settlement will create a more level playing field by making Agri Stats reports available to all buyers and sellers and calls it part of the administration’s broader push to fight anticompetitive behavior in the food supply chain.

Rollins also confirms the DOJ antitrust investigation into meatpackers originally announced in November remains ongoing.

“As ranchers face fewer options for selling their animals, the Big Four grow stronger and stronger,” Rollins says. “These companies now have an unprecedented ability to wield market power and influence prices paid for cattle — definitely more so than if we had greater competition.”

Industry Analysts Push Back on Concentration Claims

Not everyone in the cattle industry agrees that concentration itself is evidence of anticompetitive conduct.

John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing, says consolidation largely reflects economics and efficiency within the packing sector.

“As a business, you have to continually look to lowering costs,” Nalivka says. “And you can manage costs and you can manage revenue both. But the cost, you can have a direct impact on your cost structure. And one way of doing this, consolidating and gaining greater capacity and economies of scale.”

Nalivka also disputes the administration’s market concentration figures.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

“Well, to begin with, it’s not 85% now, it’s something more close to 78%, or even maybe a little bit lower than that when the Greeley strike was on,” he says.
The timing of the investigation is notable as packer profitability remains under pressure.

Nalivka says Sterling Marketing’s profit tracker showed beef packers losing nearly $200 per head at the end of April.

“From 2011 to 2015, we had the same set of circumstances, significant herd liquidation and pulling the numbers down,” Nalivka says. “And with the packing plant, the capacity is driven by — and I generate the numbers based on slaughter capacity — so it’s all about cattle numbers.”

Nalivka says his data shows the market share of the four largest beef packers has declined in 2026, with Tyson Foods’ share decreasing.

(Sterling Marketing Inc.)

According to Nalivka, the four largest beef packers now account for approximately 73% of fed-cattle slaughter capacity, leaving nearly one-quarter of processing capacity outside what the administration refers to as the “Big Four.”

“I have told people who have made these comments about these big bad packers,” Nalivka says. “I’ve said, first of all, I’ll start out with a statement, what would you do if you didn’t have one, a packer? And secondly, if you think it’s easy and you think you know so much about it, go build one.”

Producers Need Packers

Justin Tupper, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association president, says the DOJ action is less a brand-new effort than a continuation of long-running scrutiny. Tupper was a guest on AgriTalk Thursday .

Tupper acknowledges the seriousness of DOJ’s work, saying, “I sure do” believe they’re ramping it up, and called the probe “long-awaited and long-needed.” But he repeatedly warns about unintended consequences for producers if the investigation disrupts slaughter capacity.

“We like to vilify the packers all the time, but there is one truth to it, we need them,” he says, adding that if a major plant closed, it, “would cause more disruption than any good that could come from it.”

His concern is when cattle numbers rebuild, predicting, “When we get back to cattle numbers that they can control us, then they’re going to use that and weaponize that against us.”

Tupper stresses producers are not trying to deny packers a profit. “All we want as cattle producers is a fair shake; we don’t want to be used and abused when the cattle numbers are high.”

He warns the administration must understand “how tight that supply is and how few of places that slaughter them” and avoid “big disruptions.” He calls for thoughtful, balanced solutions developed with “cool heads and a lot of the smart people in the room” so the investigation doesn’t “disrupt the chain.”

Calls for Structural Reform Continue

Bullard says R-CALF USA continues pushing for significant structural reforms in the cattle industry.

“We’re asking them to do one of two things,” Bullard says. “Either break up the packers to provide more competition within the industry, or regulate those packers to ensure that they don’t engage in the antitrust conduct and anti-competitive practices.”

Bullard says the group is also urging the Trump administration to investigate what it describes as a “formula pricing scheme,” where cattle are increasingly sold through contracts instead of negotiated cash markets.

Critics argue those arrangements give major meatpackers greater influence over cattle pricing.

When asked whether the administration is listening to cattle producers’ concerns, Bullard points to Monday’s press conference as evidence of a major shift in Washington.

“Well, clearly it is,” Bullard says. “The press conference that was held talking specifically about the problems associated with beef packer concentration was unprecedented for the past 100 years. We have not seen our policymakers stand up and take a stand against the concentration of the cattle market. And so we’re excited that this administration is focused on this issue, understands that it is a national security issue, understands that as a result of our failure to properly enforce our antitrust laws, we’ve hollowed out rural American communities all across this country.”

Whether the federal investigation ultimately leads to major reforms within the cattle industry remains uncertain. But the debate over market concentration, competition and who controls pricing power in the U.S. cattle market is now squarely at the center of Washington policymaking.

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DOJ Plans to Settle Agri Stats Case, White House Official Says

Mon, 04 May 2026 20:20:47 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to settle its case against data company Agri Stats with an agreement officials hope will help drive down food costs, White House adviser Peter Navarro said on Monday.

The DOJ alleges Agri Stats’ weekly reports on meat pricing and sales enabled anti-competitive practices in the chicken, pork and turkey industries. The case is scheduled to go to trial this month.

Agri Stats has called the claims baseless and said its services result in lower prices. A company representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration has been increasingly focused on affordability as Americans sour on how President Donald Trump has handled the rising cost of living.

MEAT-PACKING INDUSTRY PROBE

Speaking at the same press conference, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ will use every law enforcement tool available to address rising food prices.

Prosecutors have reviewed more than 3 million documents and conducted interviews in their ongoing probe of the meat-packing industry, Blanche said. He urged whistleblowers to come forward and potentially claim financial awards for information.

“Multiple plant closures across the country, the current market structure, and high concentration in the industry indicate anti-competitive activity,” Blanche said without naming the companies involved.

Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS USA and National Beef Packing Company slaughter about 85% of U.S. grain-fattened cattle that become steaks, beef roasts and other cuts of meat in supermarkets.

The companies have been accused in private lawsuits of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef prices by restricting supply. They have denied wrongdoing. Tyson, Cargill and JBS have agreed to pay tens of millions of dollars to settle some claims.

Spokespeople for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Nick Zieminski, Joe Bavier and Nia Williams)

CAB Insider: April 29

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:14:17 GMT

Fed cattle prices moderated slightly in last week’s trade with a $2/cwt. decline to average $246/cwt., just off the record high observed two weeks ago.

Last week’s 529,000 harvested total appears robust in a season when an erratic pattern of weekly head counts has bounced between 502,000 and 529,000 since mid-March. No doubt, worsening packer margins have been the overriding theme — intertwined with the temporary JBS Greeley, Colo., plant shutdown — through this time frame.

(Certified Angus Beef)

In reviewing total federally inspected harvest numbers, it’s important to factor in the normal seasonal decline in cull cow harvest during the spring. This year, the cull dairy cow harvest has declined from 60,000 head per week to 50,000 per week (-16%) from mid-February through early April. In the same period, cull beef cows have pulled back from 40,000 head to about 36,000 head (-10%) weekly. The confirmed year-to-date total cow harvest is down 4.6% compared to last year, whereas the fed steer and heifer total is down 8.8%.

The month of April closes out with a bang as live cattle futures set new record highs. With one day left on the contract, April live cattle traded at $256.35/cwt. by noon Wednesday. New highs will be recorded this week in the spot market as well, with Tuesday’s fed cattle business primarily conducted at $255/cwt., a $9/cwt. leap since Friday.

On the boxed beef side of the ledger, the market has recently eased lower in expected seasonal fashion from March through April. As the calendar turns to May, the smaller fed cattle harvest volume has turned a bit higher, driven by increasing end-user volume needs. Even so, market anticipation is that spot beef demand will get a boost from overall tighter supplies and continued consumer demand.

Beef Month Anticipation

May is “Beef Month,” and many in the supply chain are anxious to see what this important season has in store for cattle and beef values. So far in 2026, consumers have shown strong support for the most preferred protein in the market. Yet higher cutout values may test demand as higher gasoline prices and weakening consumer sentiment raise caution.

A look at wholesale prices indicates that demand for middle meat — steak — remains seasonally mixed, with CAB ribeyes recently priced at $11.80/lb., 14% cheaper than a year ago and 7% cheaper than a month ago. A strong weakening in the rib price trend in April is not uncommon, as three of the last five years saw a similar downtrend, while 2021 and 2025 featured a rapidly increasing rib market. A conservative estimate suggests wholesale ribeyes could rise above $14/lb. by June, adding nearly $40 of value per carcass.

Tenderloin demand typically increases modestly ahead of Mother’s Day, with just a 14% increase from February seasonal lows to early May. This year has featured a 4.5% softening of wholesale CAB tenderloin prices for the season since early March.

Strip loins are the classic “in demand” steak cut for spring, with a 26% price increase dating back to Jan. 1 through June over the past five years. This year’s price pattern is developing near expectations, with a recent 6% pullback from the March high. There is plenty of room for strip loin prices to increase 15% by late June.

(Certified Angus Beef)

Shifting focus to the lower-priced steak options shows strong recent demand for these cuts. CAB top sirloin butts had a massive price run in the first quarter, with a 22% increase into mid-March. This uncharacteristic early demand has since corrected lower, but historic sirloin price patterns suggest a potential 15% wholesale increase by mid-June.

The loin complex is currently boosted by chart-topping ball tips, priced at an amazing 50% increase over a year ago and a stout 44% higher than early February. This popular item for Cinco de Mayo typically gets a small seasonal increase ahead of the early May holiday. This year’s unexpectedly high demand suggests broader use of the cheaper cut, even as the current $6.67/lb. wholesale average nears its record high of $6.90/lb. touched briefly during the pandemic shutdowns. Also from the loin primal, CAB tri-tips are recently 31% pricier than a year ago, steadily higher within seasonal expectations. In keeping with other loin items, tri-tip prices are historically expected to increase by another 23% through June.

Briskets, flanks and plates combine to make up just 15.5% of total carcass weight. Unfortunate, given that these lighter primals are seeing some of the stoutest demand, marked by major price increases, of any beef cuts. The average price increase across the three is 38% over a year ago, while the total CAB cutout price is just 15% over a year ago.

Carcass cutout values show a promising setup with plenty of room to run higher over the next 60 days. Underpinned by ground beef prices, grilling demand should pull not only ribeye and strip loin prices higher, but also a handful of value steak items, which will likely gain attention as consumers budget their beef buying. Anticipated spot market demand growth will be important to keep processing margins moving in the right direction as fed cattle costs mark new record highs.

The Ground Beef Paradox: Record Demand Meets a Shrinking Domestic Supply

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:43:54 GMT

As U.S. beef production tightens and retail prices hit historic highs, the American consumer’s appetite for ground beef is reaching a 20-year peak. While total beef production fell 3.6% in 2025, a surge in imports allowed per capita consumption to hold steady at 59.8 lb. — with ground beef claiming its largest share of the plate in decades.

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, says, in 2025, the decrease in beef production was offset by increased net beef imports to hold total per capita beef consumption steady with the previous year.

“Per capita beef consumption for 2025 was estimated at 59.8 lb. per person,” he explains. “Total beef production thus far in 2026 is down 6.2% and is expected to be down 3% to 4% percent annually for the year with per capita beef consumption declining despite additional beef imports this year.”

(Oklahoma State University)

A breakdown of beef consumption, Figure 1, shows that per capita supplies of ground beef increased in 2025 to the highest level since 2004. Ground beef supplies were estimated at 28.6 lb. per person, up 0.61 lb. per person. Remaining beef consumption (carcass) was estimated at 31.2 lb., down 0.44 lb. per person.

The Ground Beef Pivot: Consumers Trade Down as Prices Rise

Despite record-breaking wholesale prices, ground beef remains the “safety valve” for the American household. Data shows a shift in consumer behavior: as steaks become luxury items, shoppers are pivoting to the versatility of ground products.

Figure 2 shows that ground beef currently makes up the highest percentage of total beef consumption back to 2003 and, according to Peel, is probably at a record level in the U.S.

(Oklahoma State University)

“Ground beef consumption has increased simultaneously with record ground beef prices,” Peel says. “This happens because ground beef is still the beef product that consumers turn to when beef prices generally rise. Since 2022, the average wholesale price across 39 beef products has been an increase of over 44%. However, wholesale ground beef prices have increased over 57% over the same period.”

The Math of the Lean Deficit: Why One Steer Needs Four Cows

Peel stresses the challenges of meeting ground beef demand are substantial. Ground beef utilizes fatty trimmings from fed cattle and lean trimmings from cull cows and other sources. He explains there are a multitude of ways to prepare ground beef mixtures but a ratio of 7 lb. of 90% lean to 1 lb. of 50% lean is representative of a common 85% lean ground beef mixture.

The math currently isn’t working in favor of domestic supply:

Cow Slaughter Collapse: Total cow slaughter dropped 28.7% between 2022 and 2025.
Non-Fed Production: This has resulted in a 24.8% decrease in the domestic production of lean processing beef.
The Imbalance: One fed steer produces enough fatty trim to require the lean meat of three to four cull cows to create a marketable ground beef blend. With fewer cows entering the supply chain, the industry is facing a massive “lean deficit.”

Global Solutions: Imports Now Account for Nearly 40% of Ground Beef Trim

Not enough cow beef is available and lean supplies are routinely supplemented by imported lean.

“Over the past 20 years, an average of 25% of total trim used for ground beef has been from imported beef,” Peel says. “In 2025, imported trim accounted for an estimated 38.7% of total ground beef trim, leading to the domestic lean share of trim at the lowest level in more than 20 years — 61.3%.”

(Oklahoma State University)

Increased imported trim in the current market is important to support the value of fatty trimmings from fed cattle, Peel emphasizes.

“Maintaining the ground beef market is critical in the current situation,” Peel summarizes. “Consumer demand for ground beef is high and the ability of beef to be competitive with other proteins depends on ground beef — and fast food demand for hamburgers, in particular.”

For the cattle industry, the message is clear: ground beef is no longer just a byproduct — it is the primary driver of beef’s competitiveness against other proteins.

Fewer Vegans, More Meat Eaters: What It Means for Beef

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:21:18 GMT

Not long ago, it felt like beef had a target on its back.

Between headlines about plant-based alternative proteins, questions about how cattle are raised and shifting consumer preferences, there was a lot of speculation about beef’s future. As a young rancher, I heard those conversations just like everyone else — and like many producers, I wondered what they might mean for our industry long term.

Today, the conversation looks very different.

Beef demand is strong, even as prices remain high and supplies are tight. And that strength isn’t just anecdotal — it’s backed by data. Beef Checkoff-funded research like the Meat Demand Monitor (MDM), a monthly national survey of U.S. consumers, continues to show that consumers value beef for its taste and that eating satisfaction plays a major role in their purchasing decisions.

In fact, a report summarizing the MDM’s findings from February 2020 to December 2025 shows that more than 85% of Americans today identify as meat consumers, and consumer willingness to pay for beef at retail has increased faster than inflation. Over that same period, the number of consumers identifying as vegetarian or vegan has declined from 14% to just 7%.

Furthermore, broader food and nutrition trends are working in beef’s favor. Protein continues to be top of mind for consumers, whether they’re focused on overall health, weight management or maintaining muscle as they age. Even the rise of GLP-1 medications has reinforced the importance of nutrient-dense foods, with many users prioritizing protein to support their health goals.

I occasionally run ultramarathons and enjoy strength training, and I’ve experienced firsthand how important nutrition is when you’re pushing your body to its limit. Athletes often tailor their diets carefully, focusing on complete protein to support muscle development and recovery. Increasingly, more Americans — even non-athletes — are thinking about food in those same terms.

That trend plays directly to beef’s strengths as a flavorful, nutrient-dense protein. It’s also reflected in the continued recognition of lean beef as part of a healthy dietary pattern in the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans , reinforcing what many of us in the industry have long known: beef can absolutely be part of a healthy lifestyle.

That recognition doesn’t happen by accident. Research and education play an important role in helping consumers access accurate information about beef. Producers are investing in nutrition research through the Beef Checkoff, and that research continues to explore beef’s role in healthy dietary patterns. Meanwhile, outreach to health professionals helps ensure science-based information reaches the people influencing what we eat.

On our ranch, we’ve seen that demand play out firsthand. Cattle prices have remained strong for the past two years. That’s a welcome change from years when we hoped to simply break even after accounting for feed, fuel and other input costs. Strong cattle prices reflect the reality that supplies are tight and demand for finished beef remains strong.

Conversations with my neighbors suggest many operations are experiencing the same.

However, strong demand today doesn’t guarantee strong demand tomorrow. That’s why continued investment in building demand, expanding market opportunities and strengthening consumer trust matters.

Like many producers, I think a lot about what it will take to keep family operations viable for the next generation. Recent devastating wildfires near our ranch here in Nebraska are a reminder of just how quickly challenges can arise — and how deeply they can affect our communities. While there’s no single solution, continued investment in building demand, expanding market opportunities and strengthening consumer trust plays an important role in helping keep operations viable and our industry strong.

As I take on a larger role in our family ranch, I’m encouraged — not just by where beef demand stands today, but by the factors supporting it. My generation of cattle producers takes the future of this industry seriously. We want the opportunity to pass down healthy, viable operations to the next generation — just as previous generations did for us.

Jaslyn Livingston is a fourth-generation cattle producer from Broadwater, Neb., where she helps manage A Lazy L Ranch LLC with her family. The diversified operation includes cow-calf, feedlot and row-crop production. She also serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, helping guide Beef Checkoff programs focused on research, education and promotion.

CAB Insider: April 15

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:24:23 GMT

The fed cattle market has been on an exceptionally bullish trend for the past two weeks. As if the wildly aggressive $10/cwt. price increase two weeks ago wasn’t enough, last week’s trade featured yet another $3/cwt. jump to the amazement of most market participants.

CME Live Cattle contract values led last week’s optimism, emboldening cattle feeders to hold a firmer asking price despite the major upswing the week prior. The week’s resulting $248.68/cwt. steer price was highlighted at the top end of the range with $252/cwt. quotes in the northern feeding region.

This week’s market promises to hold further strength as April Live Cattle contracts were valued at $252/cwt. Wednesday morning. Small cash trade volume had already been recorded at $248/cwt. live with additional $390/cwt. dressed on Tuesday.

The strong cattle market has run counter to wholesale boxed beef cutout values, as this week started on a lower-price trend, with Choice boxes down $10/cwt. on Urner Barry’s quote and $5/cwt. on USDA’s report.

(Certified Angus Beef)

The resumption of processing at JBS’ Greeley, Colo., plant last Tuesday held promise for those looking for a larger national fed cattle harvest for the week. Reality set in by week’s end as packers collectively pulled the federally inspected total head count lower to 512,000 head, down 4%, with a fed cattle total of 414,000 head, down 3%. Packer margins have raced backward from decently positive to roughly $200/head negative in the past few weeks.

Spring holidays are lined up in the near future, with increased seasonal volume set to keep the supply chain on edge, as fulfilling large retail volumes requires larger headcounts. Beef demand appears to remain healthy, and a mid-April downturn in cutout values is not uncommon. Last year’s Choice cutout ran up 18% from April 15 through the end of June. Cutout values are 12% to 15% higher than a year ago.

The Marbling Milestone: A Deep Dive into Carcass Grading

The nation’s carcass marbling achievement has never been richer, as USDA data reports the latest record-high USDA Prime share at 15.55% of fed cattle. Year to date, the Prime grade has recorded weekly values of 14% or higher. With USDA Choice giving incremental ground to the growing Prime category, the two grades combine to chart a record 88.1% for the first quarter. In contrast, USDA Select carcasses comprised a new record-low 8% of fed carcasses during March.

Historic highs in marbling outcomes logically suggest that the Certified Angus Beef brand would similarly capture record volumes of Angus-type carcasses, given the brand’s focus on quality and its Modest 00 (Premium Choice) or higher marbling requirement. The importance of marbling among the brand’s 10 carcass specifications can’t be overstated. Several million Angus-type carcasses (often more than 2 million annually) have been evaluated using detailed data since 2012, revealing that 82% to 95% of carcasses failing to meet brand requirements did so due to insufficient marbling. Consequently, the greatest opportunity for improvement or failure in CAB certification rates lies within the marbling specification.

However, in the midst of record-high nationwide marbling outcomes, the brand’s certification rate in March fell to 37% of eligible carcasses — less than impressive in contrast to 41.8% in March 2025. As confusing as this seems, current feedlot economics tell the rest of the story. Cheap corn, increased days on feed and temperate feeding weather combined to push average carcass weights to new heights in March. Twenty-pound leaps in year-over-year weight increases have been a hallmark of the past two years. But the trend since December has held weights to a higher plane than ever. This means that average steer carcasses in the 980-plus lb. range yield a record proportion surpassing the brand’s 1,100-lb. upper limit. Our 2025 annual data review indicated that, of the eligible carcasses failing to meet brand standards, 14.5% of the cause was due to carcasses exceeding 1,100 lb., a significant increase from 8.6% in 2024. It’s a safe bet that this carcass weight fallout rate was higher than 14.5% in the first quarter this year, given that steer weights have not dropped below 981 lb., year to date.

(Certified Angus Beef)

Longer feedlot stays have also generated a steady increase in external carcass fat in recent years. This was highlighted by the 2025 uptick to 9.8% of certification failures in the dataset exceeding the maximum allowable 1-inch backfat thickness. Fallout from excess backfat was basically unchanged, in the 7-8% range, from 2022 to 2024, but will likely be reported higher again in 2026 if first-quarter finished weights are any indication.

In March 2025, the brand adjusted the upper limit for ribeye area from 16 to 17 sq. inches. The move aligned with the evolving cattle supply and resulted in cutting the brand’s fallout rate due to oversized ribeyes in half in the 2025 analysis.

Feedlot economics continue to reward heavier weights, urging cattle feeders to add days as they try to offset the high cost of feeder cattle with a favorable cost of gain. This has yielded unprecedented Prime carcass percentages in grid payment summaries, while simultaneously pressuring CAB carcass acceptance in the last two months. Despite these recent challenges, marbling remains the driver in the brand’s ability to add value to a greater proportion of Angus-type cattle.

Breaking the $250 Barrier: Cattle Markets Charge to New All-Time Highs

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:13:24 GMT

Live cattle futures surpassed the historic $250 mark on Tuesday, driven by record-breaking $250 cash trades in the North and a 75-year low in U.S. cattle inventory . Despite geopolitical tensions and higher fuel costs, robust consumer demand and a lack of Mexican imports continue to push both fed and feeder cattle to all-time highs as the industry enters the peak spring grilling season.

After the correction off of record highs late last year — triggered by President Trump posting he wanted to lower beef prices — some market watchers were unsure the market would retest those levels. However, live cattle futures hit all-time highs on Tuesday, exceeding last October’s record prices, while feeder cattle made new contract highs.

Record Cash Driving Futures

The spot month (April) live cattle futures contract moved above the psychological $250 mark this week, hitting a new high of $253.60 on Tuesday, while June hit a contract high at $252. The futures were pushed by the recovery in the equity markets, but more importantly, they were chasing the fed cash trade. Last week’s 5-area weighted average steer price hit a record $248.38, up $3.42 from the previous week.

Brad Kooima, of Kooima Kooima Varilek, says although it was on light volume, the North led the cash trade with live sales hitting an eye-popping $250 for the first time ever.

“Some of us got $250 in the North to a regional packer. It wasn’t widespread at all. None of the majors ever bid it,” he explains. “The rest of the feedlots were more like $248, and so most everybody passed. Then there was a little bit of trade in Kansas Friday at $249. And then it was kind of unusual, but there was some trade in Texas on Saturday at $248.”

The previous cash record for the 5-area weighted steer was $246.91, scored the week of Feb. 23.

Higher Fed Cash Cattle Trade This Week

Even after these lofty levels, Kooima says he believes fed cash trade could keep climbing this week as tight supplies continue to support the market.

“The feedlot has still maintained leverage. So, I think there’s a shot we’ll be a little bit higher — let’s go $252,” he says. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s a little bit optimistic, but I’ll take my shot that we’re going to be a little bit better, but it won’t happen until late in the week.”

His optimism is based on beef packers buying very few cattle last week and with feedlots holding out for higher money due to tight breakevens.

“I still think we’re in a window of time here of 30 to 45 days where we are cleaning up the old-crop yearlings. You know there’s a few big cattle, but we don’t have the weight problem that we had three to four weeks ago as you’re going into the front end of these calves that aren’t hardly fat. I just don’t think that the feedlot’s going to have any urgency at all to sell as these cattle.”

Futures Continue to Make New Contract Highs

With higher cash trade, Kooima expects the futures to remain resilient, even in the face of the Iran War, higher gas prices and equity market corrections. Additionally, speculative “fund” traders have returned as aggressive buyers.

“There’s an end to that game. However, in the meanwhile, the holding action rally that we’re experiencing, I expect, is going to continue for a little while yet,” he adds.

The 14-Minute Metric: Why Consumers Aren’t Feeling “Sticker Shock”

Supply is only one-half of the equation, as the strength in consumer demand cannot be underestimated as the market enters the peak grilling season.

“It begins with buying for Mother’s Day,” Kooima explains. “So let’s hope that we’ve energized the Choice cutouts, that we see the middles, you know, the steak cuts lead us out of here.”

Kevin Good , vice president with CattleFax, says the rally the last couple of years has been driven by beef demand, which is at a 40-year high. He concludes there is no evidence of sticker shock.

“Even though we’re at a price point where we’re a little concerned we might have some consumer pushback,” he explains. “If we look at how many minutes it takes to buy a pound of beef and at 14 minutes it is back to the level we were at the last cycle peak in 2014 to 2015. So if we put that into perspective, the consumer is saying for that eating experience we’re still a bargain.”

Feeder Frenzy: The Impact of the 1.2 Million Head Border Gap

The feeder cattle futures also reached new contract highs on Tuesday with the May contract topping at $377.57 1/2. That market has also been pushed by the 75-year low in the cattle herd, plus the lack of Mexican feeder cattle imports has further tightened supplies.

The Southern border has been closed for the last year to prevent the introduction of New World screwworm (NWS), resulting in 1.2 million head fewer feeder cattle being placed in southern feedlots. The feeder cattle cash index is reflecting the tight inventory and the red-hot prices at auction barns across the country. The index was up $7.27 on Tuesday at $373.94.

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$42 Million Investment: NFWF and McDonald’s USA Launch First Grassland Conservation Grants

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:40:21 GMT

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced an initial award of $32.8 million in grants under the new Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative , supported by funding from McDonald’s USA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and several key McDonald’s USA beef and beverage suppliers.

Nearly $42 million in total conservation impact will be generated through this first round of awards from the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, achieved by leveraging an additional $9.1 million in matching contributions from grantees. This initial investment will advance voluntary conservation practices benefiting both wildlife and ranchers across nearly 2.5 million acres of U.S. grasslands.

A Landmark Seven-Year Commitment to U.S. Grasslands

Launched in 2025, this landmark seven-year initiative aims to invest more than $200 million to benefit America’s iconic grasslands, cattle ranching communities and wildlife populations that depend on healthy soils, productive habitats and plentiful water. Through this initiative, grants will promote and accelerate wildlife conservation efforts across 4 million acres of grazing lands within the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain West, Midwest, West Coast and Southeast.

The six grants announced today to American Bird Conservancy , American Farmland Trust , Mule Deer Foundation , National Audubon Society , Sand County Foundation and University of Missouri are the first to be awarded through this historic investment.

These initial six grantees are expected to work with more than 750 private cattle ranch operations across 26 states to implement conservation activities including:

Developing and implementing improved grazing management plans
Installing grazing infrastructure such as wildlife-friendly fencing and watering systems
Restoring grasslands through reseeding of native plants, prescribed burning and removal of invasive vegetation
Conserving water and recharging aquifers by improving water control structures and restoring wet meadows and streambanks

Such conservation practices are designed to support ranchers in sustaining healthy, resilient cattle herds while also providing the diversity of high-quality habitats needed by wildlife species that depend on healthy grasslands. Many participating ranchers will build on their existing efforts and achieve meaningful gains in operational efficiencies made possible through the financial and technical support offered by the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative.

“Today is a great day for America’s wildlife, its ranching communities and its beef supply chain,” says Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “This first round of grants from the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative shows what can happen when corporations, federal agencies, conservation organizations and private landowners join forces to support both wildlife conservation and economic prosperity. This initiative is just getting started. We are confident it will play a leading role in grasslands conservation across the nation for years to come.”

McDonald’s USA suppliers participating in the initiative include Cargill, Golden State Foods, Lopez Foods, OSI and The Coca-Cola Company. On behalf of McDonald’s USA, Cultivo (now integrating Kateri) and Carbon Yield will provide independent monitoring and quantification of any improvements to soil health.

In its role within the initiative, NFWF will manage and invest funding to advance voluntary conservation efforts by ranchers. NFWF collaborates with NRCS and other funding partners across America’s grasslands to identify impactful, landscape-scale projects that will generate the greatest possible benefits to both wildlife populations and the productivity of vital U.S. ranch lands.

How Ranchers Can Participate in the Initiative

Ranchers interested in participating are encouraged to reach out directly to grantees.

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Why Did McDonald’s USA Invest $200 Million in Regenerative Agriculture?

JBS Greeley Strike Ends: Workers Return to Plant Monday

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:28:27 GMT

Workers at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley , Colo., will return to work Monday without a new agreement in place.

In a news release , United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 announced its members at Greeley’s Swift Beef Company, owned by JBS, will return to work after JBS agreed to return to the negotiating table. The strike originally began at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, March 16.

According to the union, thousands of workers have joined the picket lines every day, with workers demanding JBS return to the table and negotiate fairly.

UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova says JBS has agreed to meet on April 9 and 10 to resume contract negotiations, and as such, workers will return to work for shifts starting at or after 5 a.m. on April 7.

“This decision by the union comes without any new agreement or change to company’s original offer,” says Nikki Richardson, JBS corporate communications. “Throughout this process, we have remained committed to good-faith negotiations and to operating our facility safely, responsibly and in compliance with all regulatory standards.”

She adds, “Our last, best and final offer remains on the table. This comprehensive proposal includes meaningful wage increases, a pension and other valuable benefits designed to support our team members and their families. We believe this is a strong and competitive package, and we hope employees will have the opportunity to review and vote on it soon.”

Cordova says, “Workers remain united and will continue to fight until JBS fully ends its unfair labor practices and gives workers a contract offer that protects them, shows workers the respect they deserve, and pays them a livable wage. This fight will continue and workers can take strength from the community members, farmers and ranchers, and elected officials who have joined them in this battle. We will not stop until JBS rectifies the suffering it has brought on these workers and the American people as a whole.”

The union press release states the JBS agreed to meet on April 9 and 10 to resume contract negotiations.

“We are pleased to welcome our team members back and are preparing to resume and ramp up operations at the Greeley plant next week,” Richardson says. “Our focus remains on ensuring a smooth and safe return to work for all employees while continuing to meet the needs of our customers and community.”

Dave Weaber, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, says, “I’m not sure slaughter changes much after we got back to early March levels last week. Mostly depends on packers getting beef to rally post Easter.”

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CAB Insider: April 1

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:22:31 GMT

The fed cattle market has traded in a steady range around $235/cwt. live and $372/cwt. dressed in the past two weeks, roughly $10/cwt. lower than the late February high on a live basis.

The post-report adjustment to the harvested head count two weeks ago pulled that week’s total to a paltry 503,000 head. Last week’s recovery to 520,000 returned the harvested throughput to the lower end of the range seen in the previous four weeks, with an average of 524,000 head per week for the period.

The JBS Greeley, Colo., plant remains closed for the third week now due to labor stoppages at that facility. This, combined with the general tightening of packer throughput, continues to impede harvest volume.

Meanwhile, feedyard cattle inventory currentness appears to be slipping further as combined steer and heifer carcass weights marked a new record high in the latest USDA report for the week of March 8. Steer weights matched their previous high, recorded in December at 989 lb. each, while heifers surpassed their December heaviest weight by 3 lb. to reach 903 lb. apiece.

(Certified Angus Beef)

Weighted average carcass weights for steers and heifers calculate to 955 lb., 43 lb. heavier than the same week last year. The added weight-per-head on 420,000 head of weekly fed cattle harvested is equivalent to an additional 18,900 head. More astonishingly, the latest weights are 67 lb. heavier than those from two years ago, equivalent to an additional 29,500 head at the recent harvest pace.

Carcass cutout values adjusted slightly lower over the past two weeks following an exceptional first-quarter run-up, during which the USDA Comprehensive cutout value increased 12.7% since Jan. 1. The Comprehensive cutout, describing all grades for all delivery periods, reached $400/cwt. in mid-March, a tremendous 21% increase over the same week a year ago. A small correction is certainly understandable at the beginning of April, immediately before Good Friday and Easter holidays. However, packers do have some pricing power to leverage with their wholesale customers at these reduced harvest head counts.

Spring Cutout Confusion

Seasonal shifts historically bring the year’s highest-quality, marbling-rich carcasses to packing plants in March. This phenomenon is often attributed to the finished cattle supply in this period being denser with yearlings than with calf-fed cattle, compared to other seasons.

Specific to March 2026, the share of USDA Select carcasses in packers’ coolers was disproportionally small. The beef sector’s rapid advance toward a 15% USDA Prime grade average in March came at the expense of Select, which dipped to a record-low 7.9% of the offering. This stands in stark contrast to the 12% Select gradeout in March 2025. Meanwhile, the Choice category remained unchanged this March at 73% of the mix, just as it was a year ago.

Last week, the USDA reported the Choice cutout dipping to a $5/cwt. discount to Select. Inversions of the Choice-Select spread, while extremely uncommon, tend to occur in the first quarter, when carcass quality grades are near their annual peak and spot market demand for the grilling season has yet to hit full stride.

(Certified Angus Beef)

There are end-users in the market, such as the institutional sector, that maintain a standing order specifically for the USDA Select product. This price-driven customer capitalized on an average $15/cwt. discount to Choice in the past two years. The recent shift to much tighter Select carcass supplies has narrowed the price gap, even momentarily inverting the Choice-Select spread due to the scarcity of Select carcasses.

Current quality grade trends are subject to seasonal change, but the long-term outlook suggests that the combination of genetics and management will continue to yield higher-quality carcass outcomes. Beef wholesalers are advising their traditionally Select-focused customers to move up to low Choice, given the evolution of the grade mix to a higher plane.

Product labeled simply as USDA Choice has increasingly been defined by carcasses that fall within the lower 1/3 of the Choice grade. This is due to overwhelming demand for Premium Choice-branded products, such as the Certified Angus Beef brand. Consequently, what’s left in the USDA Choice box looks much nearer to the marbling found in USDA Select than ever before.

The Next Guatemala? USMEF Sees Massive Upside for U.S. Beef and Pork in Ecuador

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:22:33 GMT

Ecuador recently became the ninth country to sign an agreement on reciprocal trade with the U.S. And while it will take some time to implement, once in place, the deal will greatly expand opportunities for U.S. beef and pork in Ecuador, according to U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President for Economic Analysis Erin Borror.

Tariffs of 20% on beef and 45% on pork are mostly phased out, although there are exceptions on pork.
A 30% tariff on processed pork products which will remain in place.
The agreement recognizes all USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspected facilities as eligible for export to Ecuador, removing the need for individual facility approvals.

“The tariff on beef is basically 20% and that’s phased to zero in the agreement over three years,” Borror explains. “For pork, tariffs of 45% are mostly phased out. There are some exceptions on further processed products and sausages that will see tariffs remain at 30%.”

Borror says one of the key wins in these reciprocal trade agreements is getting countries to recognize FSIS, the U.S. food safety authority, as the competent authority.

“They will recognize all FSIS-inspected facilities as eligible to export, rather than going through onerous questionnaires, plant-by-plant audits and maintaining plant lists which have gotten to be unmanageable,” she says.

Borror expects export growth to be similar to what was seen in Guatemala after passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement.

“Both of those countries have a population of close to 18 million people,” she says. “Their GDP per capita is somewhere close to $7,000, so very similar. And if we take Guatemala, U.S. beef export growth from 2006 to 2025, saw growth from $3 million to $105 million. For pork, the market went from $10 million to $148 million.”

In 2025, the U.S. exported virtually no pork to Ecuador and only $3 million in beef. She says there is great potential in Ecuador.

What is the Livestock Consolidation Research Act?

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:24:30 GMT

Senate Agriculture Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) have introduced the Livestock Consolidation Research Act , bipartisan legislation to support research into the economic impact of livestock market consolidation on farmers, ranchers and consumers.

“Consolidation in the meat and poultry industry impacts Iowa producers and consumers alike, and right now, they’re feeling the squeeze,” Grassley says. “The current patchwork of available data isn’t enough to tackle this problem. Our bipartisan legislation will work to address ag concentration by providing farmers, ranchers and shoppers a full picture of how the market is working.”

According to Grassley’s press release , “Cattle producers often make pennies on the dollar due to a lack of transparency and competition in the cattle processing industry, where just four companies control 85% of the market. The lack of competition means farmers get less for their products, while consumers pay more at the grocery store.”

The senators’ goal with the act is to move beyond existing research to discover the impact of this consolidation on farmers and ranchers, as well as the downstream impacts on consumers. The legislation directs the USDA Economic Research Service to conduct this research.

“Just a handful of large companies dominate the meat and poultry processing industry, which means higher prices for consumers and shrinking earnings for farmers. On top of that, farmers and ranchers are dealing with the worst farm economy in 30 years, skyrocketing input costs, and a cost-of-living crisis at home. We can all see that this market concentration spells disaster,” Smith says. “Our bipartisan bill would bring to light the impact of this consolidation on farmers and consumers and help us create the best possible solutions to fix the problem. I look forward to working with Sen. Grassley and my colleagues to pass this legislation as part of a farm bill.”

Grassley and Smith plan to push for the bill’s inclusion in the research title of the farm bill, which could form a base of data to inform future decisions.

Regulatory Concerns: The Economic Impact of Increased Oversight

“Significant liquidation of cattle herds has brought U.S. cattle numbers to a 70-year low and pushed prices and subsequently, cow-calf returns, to record highs,” says John Nalivka, Sterling Marketing Inc. president. “At the same time, Sterling Marketing’s estimate for beef packer margins is to average — $191/head during the first quarter of 2026.”

Nalivka says consolidation has become a top news headline in livestock and meat industries quite often lately.

“As I read about this [proposed legislation], I once again become concerned about the information that leads to this research effort,” he says.

He stresses packing capacity is a significant factor in the market.

“Consequently, I maintain a rather significant database of plants and their capacities for both the beef and pork industries. This database goes back to the late 1980s when I started focusing on capacity and its impact on the market,” he explains. “I adamantly point out that the importance of capacity in the beef and cattle market goes beyond the packing industry to include all aspects of the supply chain from production to packing and processing to the retail meat case.”

Nalivka has often pointed out that consolidation in any industry is the result of businesses growing larger to achieve economies of scale.

“This is extremely important as it has a direct and beneficial impact on the cost structure of a business and ultimately, its financial success,” he says. “It is related to and has an impact on production capacity and ultimately, the ownership of capacity across the supply chain.”

He predicts with Tyson’s closure of the Lexington plant and reducing Amarillo to one shift, the total U.S. beef packing capacity (including both fed cattle and cows) is 36.7 million head. He adds the strike at JBS’s Greeley, Colo., plant brings annual fed cattle plant capacity down to 27.3 million from 28.9 million.

“This leaves my estimate for the four-firm fed cattle plants concentration with the Greeley plant included at 75.7%,” he says. “That is a notable difference from the quoted figure of 85%.”

Nalivka says a study such as the one proposed by Grassley and Smith should not be taken lightly considering the definite potential for increased regulatory activity.

“For those who do not believe that increased government oversight leads to greater government regulations, in 2025, there were 243 volumes in the Federal Register, proposed and final rules and regulations, which begs the question — Is this too much government oversight?”

From Pasture to Plate: Sysco Highlights the Value of Beef Quality Assurance

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:36:08 GMT

The best beef is raised the right way. This message was reinforced by remarks from Joe Don Eilers, Sysco vice president of merchandising, during the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Producer Forum, which was part of CattleCon 2026.

Representing one of the nation’s largest food service distributors, Eilers shares how best practices in cattle care and beef production influence beef product, ultimately reaching the plates of restaurants and kitchen tables of consumers.

“At the end of the day, quality beef is a safe, wholesome product for our participants to use,” Eilers says, adding the ultimate goal is delivering a mouth-watering steak that keeps customers coming back for more.

Industry collaboration is key to delivering this eating experience, and programs like BQA help ensure consistency from pasture to plate. For decades, BQA has provided science-based guidelines and education to help family farmers and ranchers improve cattle care, product quality and consumer confidence.

“We believe in the value that the BQA program has brought to the industry for decades,” Eilers says. “That mission to bring knowledge about best practices and innovations to producers across the industry has resulted in a better product that we’re able to purchase and ultimately serve to consumers.”

The commitment to cattle care and continuous improvement is also reflected in the Raised with Respect program, a partnership between Certified Angus Beef and Sysco, now in its third year. The initiative helps expand awareness of BQA principles while supporting educational resources for ranchers and additional collaboration across universities, extension systems and industry partners.

“This campaign is really about bringing another level of awareness to the work BQA has done over the years,” Eilers says, “and creating more opportunities to communicate what can be improved in beef production.”

The commitment to advancing best practices and helping to ensure beef demand recently earned Sysco national recognition — National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) named the company the 2026 BQA Marketer of the Year during CattleCon. This award highlights leaders who go above and beyond to promote BQA and support responsible cattle care across the beef industry.

“As a primary producer-facing program, BQA has been providing guidelines and resources to help cattlemen improve their cattle and resulting beef for decades,” says Josh White, NCBA senior executive director of producer education and sustainability. “It’s exciting to see this work done on farms and ranches across the country and also lends value for how a large beef seller, like Sysco, tells the beef production story.”

For Eilers, those efforts also help build trust with consumers who want greater transparency about how their food is raised.

“Customers and consumers today want more and more information about the products they’re buying and eating,” he says. “The BQA program really helps us talk about best practices around animal husbandry and environmental stewardship, and that builds confidence in the beef producers raise.”

Florida Successfully Defends Lab-Grown Meat Ban in Court

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:43:12 GMT

A federal appeals court ruled that Florida, the first state to ban lab-grown meat, can continue to enforce state law SB 1084, keeping the state’s restrictions fully in place.

The March 23 ruling from a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban does not conflict with federal regulations.

Upside Foods, a California company that was approved to make cultivated chicken for U.S. sale in 2022, brought the case forward. The company argued that federal oversight should override Florida’s restrictions, but the court disagreed.

“Because Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat does not regulate Upside’s ingredients, premises, facilities, or operations, federal law does not preempt SB 1084,” wrote Circuit Judge Andrew Brasher, as reported by the Florida Phoenix .

SB 1084, which took effect in July 2024, bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of cultivated meat. Six other states — Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska and Texas — have enacted similar bans since Florida took action.

Florida leaders who backed the ban celebrated the ruling. CBS 12 reports that Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said it protects traditional farmers and argued that lab-grown meat isn’t proven safe. Gov. Ron DeSantis also praised the decision, saying lab-grown meat won’t be allowed in Florida.

Cultivated meat supporters say these bans block a growing industry, eliminate future jobs, and shut down marketplace competition before the products can gain a foothold, CBS 12 reports.

Signed by DeSantis in 2024 to support traditional agriculture, the state law makes violations punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

“Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere,” DeSantis said in Food Safety News in 2024. “We are not doing that in the State of Florida.”

Grilling Season 2026: Will Record Beef Prices Cool Summer Demand?

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:44:38 GMT

The cattle industry is closely watching availability as we transition into the spring and summer months.

In a recent issue of “ In the Cattle Markets ,” Bernt Nelson, American Farm Bureau Federation economist, discussed cattle availability and where market conditions could be headed as the industry moves into spring and eventually the summer grilling season when seasonal demand for beef typically peaks.

(American Farm Bureau)

As of March 1, 2026, the total number of cattle on feed is estimated at 11.55 million head. While this is up slightly from last month and down slightly from the same time period as last year, specific trends in placements and marketings suggest a shift in the supply chain:

Placements: 1.61 million head (up 4% from 2025).
Marketings: 1.52 million head (down 7% from 2025).
The Trend: Placements have outpaced marketings in five of the last six months, indicating a growing volume of cattle being prepared for the peak summer demand.

“While marketings have been consistently lower than last year, marking fewer numbers of fed cattle available, it’s important to note that placements have outpaced marketings of cattle in five of the last six months,” he says. “This means more cattle are being placed on feed than are being marketed for beef. This should lead to more cattle being available for beef production during the next several months when grilling demand ramps up.”

Beef Demand and the “Grilling Season” Surge

Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of grilling season, which typically brings peak seasonal demand for beef. March and April usually bring peak demand for other proteins such as ham and lamb, while beef demand slows.

“This year, demand for beef has risen over the last several weeks, pulling prices higher at a much faster pace than in past years,” Nelson says. “Since January, the Choice beef cutout value has increased by $50.14/cwt. or 13%, from $349.97/cwt. on Jan. 2, 2026, to $400.11/cwt. on March 20, 2026. This is 25% higher than 2025 and has many analysts questioning if the strong demand from grilling season will pull beef prices even higher this summer.”

(American Farm Bureau)

Josh Maples, associate professor of agriculture economics at Mississippi State University, says in a recent “ Southern Ag Today ” article, “The Select cutout has also surged and is at levels only surpassed by May 2020. The gap between the Choice and Select cutout has been narrow during the first few months of 2026, indicating there has not been much of a premium for Choice cattle over Select.”

(Southern Ag Today, USDA-AMS)

He adds boxed beef values tend to build gradually through the first quarter before accelerating in the spring and reaching a seasonal peak ahead of summer grilling season.

“In 2026, the cutout has surged earlier in the year as cyclical market fundamentals are outweighing typical seasonality,” he explains. “Cattle supplies and beef supplies are tight. When supplies are tight, wholesale prices tend to respond quickly. Additionally, buyers may be pulling some purchases forward due to expectations of tight supplies and even higher prices later this spring.”

Increases in the rib and loin primal values since the start of the year are key contributors to the overall cutout value increase.

Maples explains in 2025, the Rib value ran up sharply from March to April, while the Loin value increased from March to June. This year, both primal values have been on a strong uptrend since mid-January.

“For producers, strong early-year boxed beef prices are supportive of fed cattle markets,” he summarizes. “Strong demand and tight supplies are supporting beef values in 2026.”

Economic Headwinds: Recession Risks

While cattle supplies are slow to rebuild, consumer demand can shift rapidly.

“Cattle supplies will take years to rebuild, but demand can change more quickly,” Nelson says. “Events such as a recession could be a threat to the strong demand that has supported beef prices over the last couple of years. Continued strong demand is key to maintaining a strong cattle market in the months to come. If demand begins to fall for any reason, especially during grilling season, beef prices will also begin to fall along with the cutout value. When the cutout falls, the packer has to buy cattle at a lower price, which leads to lower prices at the farm gate.”

As we move toward the summer months, the balance between tight cattle supplies and consumer willingness to pay record prices will define the profitability of the 2026 grilling season.

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CAB Insider: March 18

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:07:16 GMT

Cash fed cattle values have been under pressure from several factors over the past two weeks. The Iranian conflict began overshadowing equity markets earlier this month, while that general market uncertainty spilled over to Live Cattle futures, negatively impacting cash values.

Just as importantly, continuation of smaller weekly cattle harvest volumes have given packers a measure of pricing power over feedyards for the period. Finally, the strike at the JBS-Greeley packing facility, initiated last week, is a headwind in the region as JBS redirects cattle to its other plants. These combined factors have seen prices retreat from $243/cwt. two weeks ago to last week’s $234/cwt. average. Despite this, Live Cattle futures posted gains Monday and Tuesday.

(Certified Angus Beef)

Carcass weights remain heavy, relenting just 8 lb. lower than the December record-high in the latest report. In the last five years, steer carcass weights have declined 16 lb. from the beginning of January through mid-March, on average. This year, steer weights have declined by only 4 lb. for the period. While 2026 fed cattle supplies are estimated to be the lowest in the cycle, it appears that the feedlot sector is, ironically, becoming less current on market-ready cattle inventory.

Carcass cutout values have followed the opposite trajectory to that of cattle, with last week’s sharp upticks adding punctuation to increases building in prior weeks. Beef demand continues to hold strong with the “All Fresh” retail beef price at a record $9.64/lb. in February. Price increases in March are in line with the seasonal trend, but the 30-cent-per-lb. rise from mid-February through last week is more pronounced than similar patterns in recent years. Undoubtedly, limited cattle harvest throughput and the onset of early spring beef demand have combined to spur the increase.

Quality Soaring Higher

The 2025 U.S. annual average share for Prime carcasses set a new high watermark at 11.9% of fed cattle. While not a formidable percentage compared to USDA Choice at 72% of the mix, growing supplies in the Prime category have been transformational for the beef industry. With Prime historically relegated to just 2-3% of total fed cattle supply, it began it’s rise in 2013 with incremental annual increases.

The contrast is starker by illustrating the change in Prime carcass tonnage over this short timeline. First, we must factor in carcass weights, which were 85 lb. heavier in 2025 than in 2012, the last year that Prime comprised a 3% or less share. The Prime production increase was not linear over this period, yet has made a convincing overall move, generating 263% increased carcass tonnage in 2025 compared to 2012.

As if this weren’t enough, the Prime category has soared at a renewed pace since last September. Beef stakeholders rightly assumed that the Prime grade would continue to perform, given the current weather and feeding sector economics. Yet, the pace of the increase has likely outpaced most guesses, as the Prime grade has not charted below 14% of the grade mix so far in 2026.

(Certified Angus Beef)

March tends to be the month with the richest marbling, as both CAB and Prime percentages peak at this time. The month started with a highlight well outside the trend, with USDA reporting that Nebraska packers averaged 24.3% Prime across their harvest in the first week of the month. The nearly 7% increase over the prior week is staggering enough to raise questions. However, with carcass weights remaining record-heavy for this time of year (32 lb. heavier than a year ago), one must embrace new possibilities.

Ultra-heavy carcasses and extended feeding days are a double-edged sword for the Certified Angus Beef brand. The richer marbling trend increases the share of eligible carcasses that meet the Modest 00 or higher requirement. Yet moderate slippage of carcasses above the 1,100 lb. maximum, plus a few with backfat above the 1-inch limit, are the most noted of the other specifications capping growth in brand acceptance rates currently.

Increased Prime carcass production is a boon to sales growth in this category for both Certified Angus Beef and the industry as a whole. A smaller Prime cutout premium above Choice also means greater adoption of this premium product tier by grocers and restaurants. All of the above lead to a firmer foothold for beef as the protein of choice for consumers.

What Does the JBS Strike Mean to Beef Producers?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:25:46 GMT

Union workers at the JBS packing plant in Greeley, Colo., have gone on strike Monday morning. This is the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse since the 1980s.

According to The Colorado Sun and the UFCW Local 7 , union workers were picketing early this morning. The workers are calling for higher wages, safer working conditions and respect on the job .

After months of disrespect and unfair labor practices, the workers at JBS Greeley are done waiting.

The line is drawn. The strike has begun.

UFCW Local 7 members are standing up for dignity, safety, and the contract they deserve. ✊#jbsulpstrike #greeleyco #ufcw7 #unionstrong pic.twitter.com/nBPsazGyF8
— UFCW Local 7 (@UFCW_7) March 16, 2026

According to a union press release , the unfair labor practice (ULP) strike at the JBS-owned Swift Beef plant was set to start at 5:30 a.m. Monday, March 16.

JBS spokesperson Nikki Richardson says, “This morning, many JBS Greeley team members chose to report to work rather than participate in the strike called by UFCW Local 7, and we expect that number to continue increasing in the days ahead. Our team members want stability, they want to support their families, and they deserved the opportunity to vote on the company’s historic offer — an opportunity the union leadership has denied them. We are paying all team members who come to work, and we are operating the facility to the best of our ability this week.”

The union says workers hoped a recent bargaining session would have led to a breakthrough in negotiations with JBS, but instead JBS sent the workers a clear message that the company is putting profits ahead of its people.

“The Union’s member-led bargaining committee has met more than two dozen times with the company in an effort to reach a mutually agreeable contract. JBS is failing to listen to the 99% of its workers who authorized a ULP strike,” the union says in the release. “The Company needs to give them an offer that takes life saving safety equipment seriously, provides wages which meet the rising cost of living in Colorado and ensures rising health care costs do not consume workers’ wages. The Company committed numerous Unfair Labor Practices which are preventing an agreement. The Company continues to threaten to withhold both a proposed bonus and lump-sum pension payment if workers strike. The Company also retaliated against workers who have stood up for their rights and co-workers.”

The union represents 3,800 workers at the plant.

The Greeley plant did not harvest cattle the week of March 9.

“To ensure continuity for our customers and partners, we are temporarily adjusting production across our network as needed,” Richardson explains. “By utilizing available capacity at other JBS facilities, we can maintain supply, protect the long‑term stability of the beef chain and minimize disruption for consumers and retailers. Our priority is to keep product moving while we work toward a resolution in Greeley.”

She summarizes, “We remain focused on supporting our team members, and any employee who reports for their scheduled shift will have work available and will be paid. We will continue scaling operations this week as more team members return.”

Markets Lack Reaction

Live and feeder cattle futures opened higher on Monday morning. Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says there are a couple of reasons why the market ignored the strike and the biggest are the higher equity markets and lower crude oil. However, he says it is also tied to the fact the strike news was already priced into the market.

Don Close, senior animal protein analyst at Terrain Ag, joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk Thursday, summarizing the strike will increase packer leverage and help reduce negative margins.

He says even with Greeley down, the industry still has excess slaughter capacity.

“Even with Greeley, with the limited cattle supply we’re dealing with, we still have excess slaughter capacity,” he stresses. “It’s going to give way more leverage to the packers, but it will help them shore up their negative margins.”

Close adds the biggest headache to the industry will be additional freight and added shrink from the extra haul to a different plant.

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University professor of agricultural economics, agrees with Close. “Any disruption in labor availability has largest impacts on producers operating closest to involved plants. In aggregate, I do not expect large fed cattle price impacts as the industry is operating with excess physical capacity, relative to available cattle supplies.”

From an industrywide standpoint, Close downplays the potential disruption to supply.

“From the industry as a whole, the supply of product going out to meet our demand side of the market should be fine,” he says.

John Nalivka, Sterling Marketing Inc. president, says it is hard to predict the impact on the market.

“We have had Tyson’s closure of Lexington [in Nebraska] and a shift taken off the Amarillo plant [in Texas], tariffs, the current Iran situation and oil back to $100/barrel with little to no impact on the market,” he summarizes. “Supplies are tight and demand is strong. These are the overriding factors impacting this beef market. I would not be comfortable with predicting the impact of an impending strike.”

Hyrum Egbert, Riverbend Meats vice president of strategy, sales, accounting, HR, FSQA, logistics, purchasing and warehousing — who authors the biweekly The Big Bad Beef Packer newsletter, which takes a look at packinghouse truths, trends and tough questions — predicts if Greeley goes dark, even temporarily, the immediate reaction is cattle backup fear.

“A potential strike at JBS Greeley is loud ... but it’s not automatically structural,” he says. “Yes, it’s a big plant. But in 2026, cattle availability is the governor, and packers have already been living in ‘under-utilized capacity’ land for a while.”

Egbert summarizes, “This is likely more of a pricing/psychology event than a true supply collapse ... unless it turns into a long, messy, multi-plant labor domino.”

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From Ecological Design to the G Bar C Ranch: Ellis Carries the Legacy Forward

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:46:13 GMT

As the world recognizes 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF), U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) is turning the spotlight on the women shaping agriculture every day here in the U.S. From innovative land management strategies to raising livestock with care and precision, women are vital contributors to our food systems and communities.

For Meredith Ellis, ranching is more than a job; it is a “spectacular” picture painted with broad strokes of stewardship and legacy.

Based in Rosston, Texas, Ellis is a second-generation rancher who has transformed her family’s 3,000-acre operation by integrating her background in landscape architecture and ecological resilience into daily cattle management. Her collaborative work with global partners like McDonald’s and the Noble Research Institute highlights a new era of leadership where women in agriculture are bridging the gap between production and conservation.

With a guiding motto centered on raising high-quality cattle while putting the environment first, Ellis represents a growing generation of ranchers working at the intersection of production and conservation.

Legacy Across the Land

G Bar C Ranch began in 1982 after Meredith’s father, G.C. Ellis, set out to start a ranch grounded in stewardship and long-term vision. After extensively searching for the right land, a journey that wore out two pickup trucks, the family began what started as a 450-acre operation.

Today, that original vision has grown into more than 3,000 acres. Ellis embodies the continuation of that dream while bringing her own perspective and leadership to the operation. For her, ranching has always been less about ownership and more about responsibility to the land, livestock and generations that follow her.

ESAP 2023 Region IV Winner - G Bar C Ranch, Rosston, TX

(Photo: Baxter Communications Inc./Environmental Stewardship Award Program)

Perspective and Purpose

Ellis’ journey included time away from the ranch as she studied landscape architecture and sustainability at the University of New Mexico. Immersed in systems thinking and ecological design, she began to view landscapes through a broader lens of function and resilience.

During her time there, Ellis quickly realized the principles she was studying in classrooms closely mirrored the practices unfolding at home on the ranch. That moment of alignment reshaped her trajectory, prompting a return to G Bar C Ranch with renewed purpose and a desire to expand upon her family’s legacy through science-informed stewardship.

“The most important thing I could possibly do to help this planet was to return home, learn from my dad, continue his legacy and care for the land. So, I became a rancher,” Ellis shares.

Learning and Collaboration

Ellis’ leadership extends beyond daily ranch responsibilities into broader industry engagement and partnership.

Her work includes active involvement with organizations such as the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef , the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Noble Research Institute, Texas A&M University, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Integrity Beef Alliance . Through research trials, ranch tours, internships and collaborative projects, including sustainability pilot efforts with McDonald’s, these partnerships continue to advance both ranch-level outcomes and industry-wide learning.

Ellis credits collaboration as a defining strength of agriculture.

“I have yet to meet someone who has not offered some kernel of profound insight into something in my operation,” she reflects, underscoring the value of shared knowledge across the industry.

Women in Agriculture: Then and Now

Throughout her career, Ellis has witnessed a continued shift in how women participate and lead within agriculture. She believes modern ranching creates space for diverse leadership styles, experiences and approaches.

Rather than conforming to expectations, Ellis encourages young women to trust themselves and embrace authenticity in their agricultural journeys.

“I truly don’t fit into any rancher stereotypical role,” she says. “Ranching is not about adopting a specific role but being empowered to be yourself and trust yourself.”

Her advice reflects a mindset shaped by experimentation and growth.

“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes,” Ellis shares. “Think of ranching as painting a picture with broad brush strokes, up close it may look imperfect, but when you zoom out the view is spectacular.”

What the Ranch Teaches

Life on G Bar C Ranch reflects the dynamic nature of agriculture.

“There are no typical days for a rancher,” she says. “Some days I’m waist-deep in the creek fixing water gaps. Other days I’m behind the computer doing paperwork.”

At its core, she believes ranching is about adaptability.

“We’re not experts at anything except problem solving and teamwork,” Ellis says.

Meredith’s story reflects the evolving identity of agriculture, where production, stewardship, research and community engagement are increasingly interconnected.

Her stewardship at G Bar C Ranch demonstrates how curiosity and respect for natural systems can shape resilient operations and meaningful impact beyond the ranch gate. Above all, the opportunity to build a foundation for her son, much like her father did for her, provides enduring purpose and inspiration.

Continuing the Story

As USRSB continues its International Year of the Woman Farmer spotlight series, stories like Ellis’ remind us that women in agriculture are not only sustaining operations but also advancing innovation, strengthening communities and redefining leadership across the industry.

Farming and ranching remain more than occupations. They are legacies carried forward through people, purpose and the land itself.

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What is Sen. Schumer's Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act?

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:06:05 GMT

Senate Democrats are preparing legislation aimed at breaking up large meatpacking companies.

According to a March 3 article in The Wall Street Journal — “ Senate Democrats to Propose Meat Industry Breakup ” —Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce legislation to break up what he sees as a monopoly while increasing scrutiny of foreign-owned companies.

Senator Schumer’s legislation, the “ Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act ,” will force meat companies with product lines from more than one species to divest and limit their production to one species.

WSJ reports the proposed bill follows the Trump administration’s efforts to probe competition within the meatpacking industry.

“Administration officials have said easing beef prices is a priority and have pursued measures aimed at lowering prices, including increasing imports,” the article says. “If passed, the legislation would effectively break up some of the country’s largest meat companies, including Arkansas-based Tyson Foods, which processes one in every 5 lb. of chicken, beef and pork consumed in the U.S., along with JBS, another top producer of beef, pork and chicken.”

The legislation would also impose caps on beef market concentration at both the regional and national levels, and give the Federal Trade Commission the power to order targeted divestitures, such as selling off plants or spinning off business units into new independent firms.

“Minority Leader Schumer’s bill would only raise the cost of beef in grocery stores and lower the price of cattle — simultaneously squeezing consumers and ruining record markets for producers,” says Ethan Lane, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) senior vice president of government affairs. “U.S. cattle producers need access to adequate processing capacity to keep their operations running, and this bill would immediately create a processing bottleneck rivaling COVID-19-era processing disruptions.

“NCBA strongly opposes this anti-consumer and anti-producer legislation. If the Minority Leader truly wants to help cattle producers, he can support swift consideration and passage of the Pet & Livestock Protection Act to allow ranchers to finally protect their herds from surging apex predators.”

John Nalivka, Sterling Marketing Inc. president, echoes his concern regarding the proposed legislation.

“Packers break carcasses — politicians break companies,” Nalivka summarizes. “It should not surprise anyone, but the politicians have produced an answer to lower food prices and that is to break up companies into smaller entities. Though he did not ask for my opinion, I would tell Senator Schumer, ‘That plan goes against the one thing that allows a company to compete, including meatpackers, and that is economies of scale.’”

This is an important economic concept in agricultural production and many other industries for that matter.

“Think about when the government broke up the big telecommunications (phone) companies,” he says. “Did it help anything?”

Meat Institute Fires Back

The Meat Institute on Thursday says Senator Schumer’s bill will destroy the meatpacking industry, sending costs for consumers soaring, reducing union jobs, and harming livestock and poultry producers .

“This proposal is absurd,” says Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Schumer’s bill and other efforts to villainize meatpackers are simply reckless election-year pandering that threatens to damage a crucial industry at the center of every American meal. If the Senator is trying to make meat and poultry more affordable for consumers, this is the wrong approach. It will have the opposite effect. While this may be just a messaging bill to Senator Schumer, it is real life for American families, farmers and ranchers and for the 3.2 million Americans employed throughout the industry.”

Potts adds, “Such a foolish proposal would never even be considered in another industry. Imagine the federal government mandating that Ford only manufacture trucks, while forcing them to sell off all their other vehicle lines to separate small businesses. It is unthinkable in a free market. They don’t even do that in Russia anymore.”

The Meat Institute says the bill would create uncertainty for livestock and poultry producers, especially cattle producers. Provisions of the bill would hit cattle feeders especially hard, putting some out of business completely.

“In Schumer’s radical new market structure, what incentive does anyone have to own and operate a beef facility, especially now when economists predict the herd will take a decade to fully rebuild? Instead, the bill incentivizes beef and pork packing to leave the U.S. for foreign countries. For the past 18 months, beefpackers — large and small — have experienced the largest losses on record, with this week’s losses at more than $350 a head ,” she says. “The solution to reducing beef prices is to encourage cattle producers to retain heifers and rebuild the herd. Watching as our industry is used as a political football to score cheap points in the press does not provide certainty or confidence in the market.”

Nalivka adds the Sterling estimates for margins across the red meat industry would not support any contention that packers are taking advantage of producers or consumers for that matter.

“For 2025, my Sterling margin estimates indicated that beefpackers had an average loss of $138/head. Feedlots realized an average profit of $498/head last year while cow-calf producers made $897/head on cattle sales during 2025,” Nalivka says. “Record-high cattle prices certainly benefited feedlots and cow-calf producers over the last year. However, those same record-high fed cattle prices more than offset the record-high wholesale beef prices paid to packers last year, thus leading to significant packer losses.”

The argument for “too big” might begin with packers, but where does it go from there? Does it extend further to the government needing to regulate the size of feedlots and cow-calf ranches in the U.S.? That might sound unlikely, but what might seem like an appealing argument can often spiral further.

“Initiating an investigation is only the beginning,” Nalivka adds. “I have seen this with federal lands grazing in the western U.S.”

The meat industry competes in a global market. The U.S. meat industry has an advantage in many aspects of producing and marketing beef, pork and poultry with part of that advantage being the structure of the industry. As a result, U.S. consumers have access to a wide variety of safe and wholesome red meat and poultry meat products.

“Is beef affordable? I would answer yes, and consumer demand would support that,” Nalivka summarizes. “If consumers were unwilling to purchase beef at record-high prices, prices would fall.”

98% of U.S. Households Are Buying Meat: New Report Shows Record Sales

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:02:01 GMT

Meat sales hit a record high of $112 billion in 2025, with a pound increase of 2%. Millennials and Gen Z were a driving force behind the growth, according to the 21st annual Power of Meat report released today at the Annual Meat Conference by the Meat Institute and FMI — The Food Industry Association .

According to Circana, more than 98% of American households purchase meat, and 45% of shoppers are actively trying to prepare more meals containing meat or poultry. According to 210 Analytics, of the five dinners shoppers prepare at home per week on average, 90% already contain a portion of meat or poultry.

“The meat department is outperforming because it delivers what shoppers want right now: protein, flexibility, value and taste,” says Rick Stein, FMI vice president of fresh foods. “Retailers that balance convenient ground options with premium, indulgent cuts will be best positioned to capture both budget-conscious and experience-driven shoppers.”

Which Generations Are Driving Meat Sales Growth?

Millennials and Gen Z shoppers accounted for 67% of unit growth. They are more likely than other shoppers to be actively trying to prepare more meals containing meat or poultry — Gen Z 50% and Millennials 57%. In 81% of households with children, kids have some level of influence on meat and poultry purchase decisions. Seventy-two percent of shoppers with teens at home say their teens request meat and poultry, far ahead of requests for protein bars, shakes and powders.

How is AI Changing How Consumers Buy Meat?

Younger generations also lead the way in using social media and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for meal inspiration. Twenty-four percent of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers use AI tools, compared to 10% of Gen X and 4% of Boomers. Overall, 15% of shoppers use AI tools, a 650% increase compared to just two years ago.

Is Meat Still Considered Part of a Healthy Diet?

Meat and poultry continue to feature positively in shoppers’ health and nutrition perceptions, with 77% of shoppers agreeing that meat and poultry are part of a healthy diet, up more than 20% since 2020. GLP-1 users over-index versus non-users for eating somewhat or a lot more meat than last year (161) and for frequently including meat and poultry in snacking occasions (171).

“Americans are more focused on making smart food choices than ever before, and this latest Power of Meat report reinforces meat’s clear and irreplaceable role at the center of healthy, convenient, affordable meals today and for generations to come,” summarizes Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute president.

Read more about how the food pyramid puts protein back on top:

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

The New Food Pyramid Flips the Script

The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of FMI and the Meat Foundation and sponsored by Cryovac Brand Food Packaging. Sales and purchase dynamics data are provided by Circana for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2025.

Your Next Read:
Consumer Craze for Protein Drives Beef Demand
Why Aren’t High Beef Prices Causing Sticker Shock With Consumers?
What Do Consumers Buy in the Meat Aisle When Money is Tight?
Global Protein Demand Surges 2% Annually as Producers Navigate Volatile Markets

JBS USA Breaks Ground on $150 Million Expansion at Cactus Beef Production Facility

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:28:13 GMT

JBS USA broke ground Friday on a $150 million expansion project at its beef production facility in Cactus, Texas. The project includes construction of a new, state-of-the-art fabrication floor and an expanded ground beef room, strengthening the long-term competitiveness of one of the company’s largest and most important beef plants.

This major investment is designed to increase operational efficiency, enhance production capacity, and create new opportunities for cattle producers, customers, team members, and the surrounding rural communities. Construction is underway, with expectation of being completed by early 2027.

“This groundbreaking marks an exciting moment for JBS USA, our team in Cactus, and cattle producers,” says Wesley Batista Filho, JBS USA CEO. “The investment reflects our long-term commitment to the U.S. beef industry and the rural communities where we live and work. By modernizing and expanding our Cactus facility, we are ensuring that our business, and the thousands of families who depend on it, remain positioned for success now and in the future.”

The Cactus facility, located in the Texas Panhandle, currently employs more than 3,600 team members and partners with local cattle producers, purchasing approximately $3.3 billion in livestock annually.

The reinvestment marks a major step forward for the region, highlighting its economic significance and benefits for Texas producers.

“I commend JBS for their investment right here in Cactus,” says state Rep. Caroline Fairly. “This transformational project sends a clear message that they believe in the Texas Panhandle, in our workforce, and in the long-term future of this area. We are proud to see JBS continue investing in our community and in American agriculture.”

Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades applauds JBS’s investment in the local community and its ongoing impact on Cactus residents. “The investment is about more than just expanded production capacity, it reinforces JBS’s longstanding commitment to the people who call this community home. Through their Hometown Strong and Better Futures programs, they’ve partnered directly with community leaders to fund numerous local projects that our residents enjoy and benefit from, along with education opportunities for their employees and their families. This expansion builds on that momentum, ensuring that Cactus continues to thrive and remains a vibrant, resilient place.”

Beyond its facility upgrades, JBS USA continues to invest in rural communities like Cactus through its Hometown Strong and Better Futures programs. Since 2020, JBS has invested more than $11 million in Cactus community projects — including parks, enhanced local facilities, nonprofit support, and affordable housing—while enabling more than 259 team members and their children to pursue tuition-free community college.

The Corn Fed Advantage? What’s Really Driving Growing Global Demand for U.S. Beef

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:54:14 GMT

Final 2025 export numbers are in, and while U.S. beef exports reflected the realities of tighter cattle supplies and lost access to China, the broader global demand story remains historically strong, according to Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Speaking during Commodity Classic, Halstrom detailed not only where exports landed in 2025, but what the numbers mean for cattle producers, grain farmers and the industry’s outlook in 2026 as the United States’ ability to supply high-quality corn-fed beef is feeding some of that growth in demand.

2025 Beef Numbers: China Drives the Decline

Looking back at 2025, Halstrom says most of the anticipated decline in beef exports materialized due to tight cattle supplies. But the magnitude of the drop largely centered on one country.

“Looking at the beef side, yeah, we’re down about 10%, 11%,” he says. “But majority of that is China.”
Halstrom says if you take out China, beef demand is steady compared to 2024, which was a historic year.
The issue with China traces back to last April, when China did not renew export registrations for approximately 400 U.S. beef establishments.

“Unfortunately, that was implemented, the ban on the establishments, or they didn’t renew the establishments last April, and that’s the primary reason we’re down,” Halstrom explains.

However, he was quick to point out that removing China from the equation changes the narrative significantly.
“So you take China out of the mix, our value is steady with a year ago, and we’re only down a couple percent on volume,” he says. “So I think that’s the real story here.”

While regaining access to China remains a priority, and could be a topic of discussion when China and the U.S. are poised to hold trade talks in April, Halstrom says the broader global marketplace is performing at exceptionally high levels.

“Obviously, it’s a real priority to try to get China back going again and it’s top of USTR’s list,” he says. “But the real story is that the rest of the world demand is record-breaking and it is really performing.”

With a potential meeting planned between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in early April, Halstrom said he is cautiously optimistic.

“Well, I’m optimistic it will be, yes,” he said when asked whether trade would be part of the discussion. “Because, in my opinion, this is a political thing.”

He adds that from an administrative standpoint, restoring plant listings could be straightforward.
“The actual relisting of 400 establishments is relatively easy, if they choose to do it, in my opinion, from what we’ve heard,” Halstrom says. “So a momentous event like Trump and Xi spending a few days together, as it is planned in early April, could potentially be a breakthrough moment — and at least the first step in a breakthrough.”

Demand is “As Good As I’ve Ever Seen It”

Even without China fully active, Halstrom repeatedly returned to one theme: demand.

“Demand is not a problem,” he said. “The under-supply of cattle is a problem, we all know that, but demand is as good as I’ve ever seen it.”

He pointed to emerging shifts in buyer behavior, particularly in Latin America.

“There’s markets like Guatemala, Central America, even Mexico, that are demanding Choice and higher-graded beef from the U.S.,” he said. “That didn’t use to five to 10 years ago.”

The scale of the shift is notable given current price levels, according to Halstrom.

“Who would have thought that I would never have thought a place like Guatemala would be demanding Prime beef from the U.S. when the cutout for Choice is $360 and higher,” Halstrom says “It’s unbelievable what’s going on.”

After more than four decades in the meat export business, he described the current environment as unprecedented.

“I’ve been in this business now 43, 44th year,” he says. “We’re in an unprecedented area of demand for our product.”

The Corn-Fed Advantage

Halstrom attributed much of that sustained global interest to the unique characteristics of U.S. production.

“A lot of it is the corn-fed product that creates this marbling and this rich taste,” he says. “Nobody else in the world can copy it.”

That differentiation continues to allow U.S. beef to compete at premium price levels, even in developing markets that historically prioritized lower-cost protein options.

Corn and Soybean Growers Aren’t Just Exporting Grain

During Commodity Classic this week, Halstrom emphasized the measurable return meat exports generate for crop producers.

“We actually just finished the computations for 2025,” he says. “Every bushel of corn, $0.58 per bushel of that value is attributable to exports of U.S. pork and beef.”

The soybean impact was even more striking.

“On the soybean side, it was a little over $1 a bushel, just attributable to pork exports,” Halstrom says.
Halstrom says U.S. grain producers aren’t just exporting grain. They’re also exporting meat.

The 2026 Wild Card

Asked what single factor he is watching most closely in 2026, Halstrom again circled back to demand.
“Demand,” he says. “Demand is as good as I’ve ever seen.”

With historically tight cattle supplies likely to persist, maintaining that appetite at elevated price levels will be critical.

“It’s really hard to explain unless you’ve seen it,” Halstrom said of the current export climate. “It’s unbelievable what’s going on.”

If demand continues at today’s pace, and if China reenters the market, the ripple effects could extend well beyond the beef complex, reinforcing value throughout the feed and grain sectors once again.

CAB Insider: Feb. 25

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:10:27 GMT

The fed cattle market continued to show strength last week as negotiated trade developed very late on Friday. February Live Cattle futures traded near contract highs at $247/cwt. and small cash trade volume in the north centered on that price.

Extremely small harvest volume was the key element in last week’s market, sending a clear message that packer margins — near $300 per head in the red— have forced reductions on throughput. Granted, Monday’s President’s Day was a federal holiday, but this is negated as a consideration for harvest volume, as packer capacity for the week was sharply underutilized.

(Certified Angus Beef)

Friday’s Cattle on Feed report proved uneventful as analyst expectations were met with the number of cattle on feed in feedlots (with at least 1,000 head of capacity) at 98.2% of a year ago. January marketings look quite low at 87% of a year ago, but there was one fewer marketing day this January. With that said, a smaller cattle harvest is evident with year-to-date figures at -5.8%.

Carcass cutout values showed some life with slightly higher values last week on a steadily higher trajectory. Mixed price direction has recently been a theme across the major carcass primals. Firming demand for round cuts is the most notable trend in recent days, as utilization of lean, grinding beef is cropping up again. With spring spot market demand in the forward view, ribeye prices were a bit higher, but they are just trading off of their winter lows.- Wholesale strip loin prices have adjusted lower after making strong moves to the upside throughout January into early February.

Protein Price Spreads

The inflationary theme in the grocery sector is impossible to miss, as most Americans are faced with the buying a large share of their food at retail. Beef has been in the media crosshairs for months as retail prices have escalated. The “all fresh” retail beef price increased 10% from 2024 to 2025, with another 6% the prior year. Yet consumers have a choice in meeting their protein needs, and they continue to demand beef at an impressive level. In fact, beef demand in the fourth quarter of 2025 was record-high, according to analysts at Terrain.

A simpler approach is to realize that U.S. per capita beef consumption was nearly unchanged in 2025 at 58.4 lb., scarcely lower than the 59 lb. in 2024. Couple that with the 10% average annual retail price and one can quickly see that demand was robust.

Even more amazing: Beef has built a rapidly widening price gap over competing meats in the grocery store. This trend has become increasingly pronounced since the early 2000s, but as beef supplies have tightened over the past three years, the pace of the widening price disparity has accelerated.

During 2022, the peak of the cycle’s largest beef supplies, retail beef prices were 49% higher than pork and 200% higher than chicken. This is a large contrast to the 2025 average, with beef pricing 79% higher than pork and 260% higher than chicken. It’s important to note that beef retail prices rose rapidly throughout 2025 as the fourth quarter’s $9.44/lb. average was 13.8% higher than the first quarter average. Once again, the fourth quarter saw record beef demand despite rapidly escalating prices.

(Certified Angus Beef)

Market analysts point to evolving consumer attitudes toward meat as an important component of a healthy diet. The popularity of GLP-1 medications (with meat indicated as a healthy protein source) and the recent inversion of the USDA food pyramid are contributing factors. Consumers may be adapting to the nutrient density and wholesomeness of beef as they compare the return on their grocery dollar to less healthful food options.

It’s imperative to credit beef quality advancement in the consumer behavior discussion. The beef industry is offering consumers the most satisfying eating experience they’ve ever encountered, as the share of USDA Prime and Certified Angus Beef brand product continue to swell as a portion of fed cattle production. This leaves little doubt that marbling-rich carcasses are driving beef to outperform other protein sources in the meat case.

A Trade Win for Beef and Pork: U.S. and Taiwan Sign Agreement on Reciprocal Trade

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:31:22 GMT

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the signing of an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the United States and Taiwan that includes significant market access gains for U.S. red meat.

“The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade with Taiwan will eliminate tariff and nontariff barriers facing U.S. exports to Taiwan, furthering opportunities for American farmers, ranchers, fishermen, workers, small businesses and manufacturers,” Ambassador Jamieson Greer said . “This agreement also builds on our longstanding economic and trade relationship with Taiwan and will significantly enhance the resilience of our supply chains, particularly in high-technology sectors.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins praised the agreement on X, saying this will open up real markets and boost opportunities for rural communities.

New trade deal with our partner, Taiwan!
🇺🇸🤝🇹🇼

THANK YOU @POTUS and @USTradeRep. Under the new U.S.–Taiwan Reciprocal Trade Agreement, Taiwan is cutting or eliminating tariffs on nearly all U.S. agricultural exports — from animal protein like beef, pork, and dairy to corn,… https://t.co/44xmlzP04o
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) February 13, 2026

U.S. Beef’s Potential to Grow Export Opportunities
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says this will strengthen one of the most important and fastest-growing markets for U.S. beef. Taiwan is the fifth largest market for U.S. beef, with exports valued at about $650 million, and the U.S. is the largest supplier of beef to Taiwan.

“There is still potential for further growth with the increased access for all U.S. beef products, including those in high demand for yakiniku barbecue and trendy burger concepts,” U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said. “The elimination of tariffs on U.S. beef will definitely improve our competitiveness.”

Foreign markets play a critical role in producer profitability with beef exports accounting for more than $415 per fed cattle processed in 2024, NCBA President Gene Copenhaver explained.

“Strong, science-based trade agreements are essential to adding value for U.S. cattle producers, and Taiwan has emerged as one of the strongest international markets for U.S. beef,” Copenhaver said. “Duty-free access improves competitiveness and provides long-term certainty for producers who depend on export markets to maximize the value of every animal. American cattle producers look forward to this expanded market access for years to come thanks to the work of President Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer.”

Securing Greater Market Access for U.S. Pork
It’s also a step forward for the U.S. pork industry as U.S. pork has been “widely disadvantaged in Taiwan,” USMEF said. The EU and Canada currently dominate Taiwan’s pork imports.

“USMEF is optimistic that reducing both tariffs and nontariff barriers will help enable larger U.S. pork exports to Taiwan, as USMEF remains focused on regaining Taiwanese consumer trust in U.S. pork,” USMEF said.

Organizations say this trade deal reinforces science-based standards consistent with the World Organization for Animal Health and Codex Alimentarius.

“I would like to thank President Trump and Ambassadors Greer and Callahan for their hard work,” said Lori Stevermer, a Minnesota pig farmer. “This agreement stands to boost U.S. pork exports by cutting tariffs in half. It also requires Taiwan to follow maximum residue levels (MRLs) set by Codex for ractopamine in pork fat, kidney, liver and muscle. While not always as obvious as a tariff reduction, by accepting USDA FSIS inspections, audits and export certificates, this agreement reduces the nontariff barriers we face and allows opportunities for more plants to export pork. Overall, U.S. pig farmers will have greater market access to a country that loves pork and that’s good for our farms and businesses.”

Additionally, within six months Taiwan must recognize the African swine fever protection zone established by the U.S.

“Our 15-plus year endeavor to break down trade barriers in the high-value market of Taiwan has paid off,” said NPPC president Duane Stateler, an Ohio pork producer. “This means more U.S. pork on international tables and more opportunities and prosperity for American producers.”

Read the Fact Sheet on U.S.-Taiwan Agreement on Reciprocal Trade