USDA reports Choice and Select price rise

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported higher boxed beef values on Sept. 1, extending pressure on beef prices heading into Labor Day weekend. USDA’s morning boxed beef report showed the Choice cutout at $378.02 per hundredweight, up $2.20 from the prior day, and the Select cutout at $360.66, up $2.17. At the grocery level, New York-area reporting and consumer accounts pointed to record beef prices, including ground beef at about $8 a pound in Manhattan. The USDA figures track wholesale boxed beef, not the retail sticker price a shopper sees in a supermarket case. But the reports are closely watched because they show what packers are getting for major beef categories and can signal pressure on steaks, roasts and other grilling cuts. The agency publishes those reports through its Agricultural Marketing Service market news system. (ams.usda.gov) ### What exactly did USDA say on Sept. 1? USDA’s Sept. 1 estimated boxed beef cutout report listed Choice at $378.02 per hundredweight and Select at $360.66 per hundredweight. The report showed a Choice-Select spread of $17.36 and a total load count of 59 across cuts, trimmings and grinds. The Agricultural Marketing Service describes the boxed beef cutout as an estimate based on negotiated prices and volume of boxed beef cuts delivered within 0 to 21 days, using average industry cutting yields. (ams.usda.gov) Those values are reported in U.S. dollars per 100 pounds. ### Why do wholesale cutout values matter to shoppers? News 12 New York reported on Sept. 1 that Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed beef prices at record highs, at $6.89 a pound for ground beef and $13.06 for steak, both about 10% higher than a year earlier. (ams.usda.gov) The outlet quoted shoppers reacting to sticker shock and cited analysts pointing to multiple drivers behind the increase. The Cool Down, citing Fortune, reported that 32-year-old Manhattan shopper Aaron Kaufman began switching to cheaper proteins including chicken after seeing ground beef priced at $8 a pound. The report said Circana data pointed to some consumers buying slightly less beef after nearly two years of price increases. ### Does a higher Choice and Select report mean every beef item is rising? (newyork.news12.com) USDA’s cutout report covers benchmark wholesale values for graded boxed beef, not every retail package. A move in the Choice and Select cutouts can coincide with pressure on premium grilling items, but store pricing still depends on retailer strategy, transportation, promotions and local demand. That link from wholesale to retail is an inference based on how the market works, not a separate USDA retail-price statement. (thecooldown.com) USA Today reported in August that families were already swapping steaks for chicken, pork and cheaper cuts to keep summer cookouts affordable. That consumer behavior matches the New York reports showing shoppers pulling back as beef prices climb. ### What does USDA show for pork as an alternative? (ams.usda.gov) USDA’s Sept. 1 daily hog and pork summary showed a national negotiated barrow and gilt carcass weighted average of $91.63, up $2.90 from the prior day, with 8,395 head in the reported count. Separate USDA plant-delivered purchase data for Sept. 1 showed a negotiated carcass weighted average price of $89.64 and a range of $80.00 to $96.00. (usatoday.com) The Agricultural Marketing Service posts those pork reports on its daily pork reports page, alongside morning and afternoon negotiated sales reports. For shoppers and retailers comparing proteins ahead of a cookout, those reports offer the federal government’s daily snapshot of wholesale pork trade levels and volume. ### Where can readers track the next update? (ams.usda.gov) USDA updates its boxed beef and pork market reports on the Agricultural Marketing Service market news pages, including daily beef reports and daily pork reports. The next published reports after Sept. 1 are available through those USDA pages, which list the latest morning and afternoon negotiated sales data. (ams.usda.gov 1) (ams.usda.gov 2)