Beef prices soar ahead of Memorial Day

ConsumerAffairs reported on May 22 that Americans heading into Memorial Day weekend were seeing higher prices for ground beef, steaks and brisket as retailers passed through tighter cattle supplies and strong grilling demand. The report said some shoppers were shifting to pork, chicken, sausages and plant-based proteins as cheaper cookout substitutes. (consumeraffairs.com) USDA and industry data point to the same supply squeeze: the U.S. cattle herd is at its smallest level in decades, while beef demand has held up heading into summer. (fb.org) ### Why is beef getting more expensive right now? (ers.usda.gov) January 30 USDA data showed 86.2 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of Jan. 1, 2026, with beef cows down 1% from a year earlier. That left the national herd at the lowest level in roughly 75 years, according to USDA-linked market analysis cited by the American Farm Bureau Federation. ConsumerAffairs said years of drought, high feed costs and rising operating expenses pushed ranchers to cut herd sizes, leaving less beef available this spring. Kelly Schmidt, chief executive director of the Minnesota Beef Council, told KSTP-TV that supply is the main driver. “Our cow herd is the smallest it’s been in over 70 years,” Schmidt said, according to ConsumerAffairs, adding that domestic beef production capacity is smaller than it has been in decades. (consumeraffairs.com) ### How high have prices already gone? April 2026 USDA Economic Research Service data showed the national average retail price for all-fresh beef reached $9.64 per pound, up $1.14, or about 13%, from April 2025. The same Farm Bureau analysis said the national average price of uncooked beef steaks in U.S. cities was $13.02 per pound in April, up 17% from $11.12 a year earlier. (nass.usda.gov) March 2026 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, cited by CNBC, put average ground beef for hamburgers at about $6.70 per pound, roughly 12% above a year earlier. ConsumerAffairs said ground beef has seen especially strong increases because shoppers have continued to favor burgers even as prices rise. (consumeraffairs.com) ### Why haven’t higher prices cooled demand? May 19 Farm Bureau analysis said USDA expects U.S. consumption of beef, pork and chicken all to rise in 2026, with total U.S. beef consumption forecast at 29.38 billion pounds, up 1.3% from 2025. The report said demand typically strengthens during summer grilling months, which could keep pressure on beef prices even after spring increases. (fb.org) ConsumerAffairs reported that demand has stayed firm despite higher shelf prices, particularly for burger meat and grilling cuts. That combination — fewer cattle and steady buying — is what has kept supermarket meat cases expensive heading into the holiday weekend. (cnbc.com) ### What are retailers and food buyers watching next? May 22 market commentary from US Foods, based on USDA data through May 20, said live cattle sold around $2.63 per pound last week and remained near record highs for the year. The company said ground beef and several steak cuts had continued to increase through the latest trading days, with analysts expecting some categories to stay steady in the short term before moving higher into summer. (fb.org) USDA’s Economic Research Service said its next meat price-spread update is scheduled for June 10. That release will provide the next official monthly read on retail beef prices as grocers, restaurants and shoppers move deeper into the summer grilling season. (consumeraffairs.com) (ers.usda.gov) (usfoods.com)