Even at record prices, Americans are buying more of this grocery staple

Beef is promoting at report costs and Individuals are shopping for extra of it than ever.

In 2025, customers have been spending cash more than $45 billion in beefwho purchased greater than 6.2 billion kilos, in response to knowledge from Beef Analysis, a contractor for the Nationwide Cattlemen’s Beef Affiliation. That is sufficient to feed everybody on the planet three hamburgers.

In comparison with the earlier 12 months, expenditure elevated by roughly 12%, whereas the quantity of beef offered elevated by greater than 4%. Briefly, shoppers not solely pay greater costs; in addition they purchase extra beef.

That demand can also be mirrored within the meat sector, the place beef accounts for greater than half of all recent meat {dollars}, far exceeding different protein choices equivalent to hen, pork and seafood.

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In line with knowledge from the U.S. Division of Agriculture, the common worth of beef in grocery shops rose from about $8.40 per pound in March to $10.10 per pound in December 2025, a rise of about 20%.

Economists say entrenched demand helps to drive up costs and there’s little signal of it easing within the close to time period.

Glynn Tonsor, professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State College, instructed Fox Information Digital that sturdy shopper demand continues to drive the economic system beef prices up.

“There’s nothing that forces me, you or anybody else once we go to the grocery retailer to pay extra for beef. Folks select it,” he stated. “Client need for beef is excessive and, whatever the provide facet state of affairs, this implies costs are rising.”

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Rancher inspects cattle from his truck. (Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg/Getty Photos)

However even with sturdy the patron’s urge for food Protecting the market alive means farmers face challenges on the different finish of the availability chain.

Years of drought, excessive feed prices and an getting older ranching inhabitants have decimated herds throughout the nation, leaving U.S. livestock provides at their lowest ranges in additional than seventy years.

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A ranch hand drives cattle into the pens of Adams Ranch Inc. in St. Lucie County, Florida on July 9, 2013. (Ty Wright/Bloomberg/Getty Photos)

Derrell Peel, a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State College, stated the present provide disaster will not be solved in a single day.

“The very fact is there’s nothing anybody can do to alter this in a short time,” Peel stated. “We’re in a good provide state of affairs that has taken quite a few years to develop, and it’ll take quite a few years to get out of it.”

In the meantime, the Trump administration says it’s working to decrease beef costs by briefly growing imports from Argentina, whereas additionally laying out longer-term plans to strengthen the U.S. cattle business.