BEEF

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

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:50:43 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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DOJ, USDA Ramp Up Antitrust Investigation Into "Big 4" Beef Packers

Fri, 08 May 2026 18:34:40 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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Breaking the $250 Barrier: Cattle Markets Charge to New All-Time Highs

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:13:54 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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What Does the JBS Strike Mean to Beef Producers?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:25:47 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.”

Your Next Read: Can Cattle Recover and is the Greeley Strike Priced In? Row Crops Follow Oil

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

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:02:03 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

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

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:54:13 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.

CattleFax Provides Optimistic 2026 Price Outlook at CattleCon

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 22:24:39 GMT

2026 could be another record breaking year for cattle prices. That’s according to the CattleFax’s 2026 Outlook released during CattleCon in Nashville, Tenn.

CattleFax CEO Randy Blach says it is likely fed cattle futures prices will go back and test or exceed the all-time highs set in mid-October of 2025. With inventory at a 75-year low and the beef cows numbers down 285,000 that will mean tighter supplies ahead.

“The U.S. cattle and beef industry enters 2026 with strong but volatile market conditions, as historically tight cattle supplies, record-setting beef demand and elevated policy and weather uncertainty continue to support prices, even as markets appear to near cyclical highs,” says Mike Murphy, CattleFax chief operating officer. “Tight inventories and exceptional demand remain the dominant forces shaping the market; however, producer demographics, high input costs, and policy uncertainty point to a slow and measured expansion phase.”

Strong Fundamentals, Shifting Dynamics

Kevin Good, vice president of market analysis at CattleFax, reports the U.S. beef cow herd decreased 280,000 from a year ago in the latest USDA semi-annual cattle inventory report, while dairy cow inventories increased by 190,000 head.

Cattle availability will remain constrained in the first half of 2026 due to limited feeder cattle supplies. Fed slaughter is projected to decline by 600,000 head, primarily early in the year, and non-fed slaughter is expected to remain historically tight at 5.6 million head. Total commercial beef production is projected to decline again in 2026, albeit at a slower pace than in 2025. With imports up 5% and exports down 5%, U.S. per-capita beef supplies are forecast 0.2 lbs. larger in 2026 to 59.2 lbs., the largest since 2010.

(National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)

Record Weights Making Up for Lost Slaughter

Total fed cattle slaughter was down last year by 1.4 million head in 2025 at 1.4 million head.

“That’s a big one-year decline,” Blach summarizes. “And this year, you know, fed slaughter could be down anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million more.”

(CattleFax )

However, has been offset by heavier carcass weights, which in essence created virtual cattle to temper the tight supplies according to Blach.

“In 2024, carcass weights were up 27 lb. That was the equivalent of harvesting another million head of fed cattle. Last year, carcass weights were up 25 lb., which is equivalent to harvesting another 900,000 head of cattle on an annual basis. This year, they’re off and running again. I mean, we could easily end up with weights up another 10 to 15 lb. this year.”

(CattleFax )

Beef Demand Also Key to Strong Prices in 2026

Retail beef demand remained historically strong in 2025, with record retail prices supported by steady consumption and exceptional product quality. Consumer preferences continue to favor high-protein, nutrient-dense foods, reinforcing demand even as higher prices move through the supply chain.

Good says consumer demand for beef is at a 40-year high, which is also adding to their cattle price outlook.

(National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)

He also attributes that to a healthy economy, nearly full employment and rising wage levels that are beating inflation, so consumers have money to spend.

“We look at how many minutes it takes to buy a pound of beef and that number is back to the level we were back at the last cycle peak in 2014 to 2015,” Good says. “At first blush that looks like beef may be getting too pricey. At the same time, our consumers still consume about 59 lb. So this rally the last couple years, the bottom line is big part of it’s been demand driven. So, we really don’t see a push back yet.”

Plus, with an average consumer spending 14 minutes of work to buy a pound of beef, it is still a bargain.

“With 84% of fed cattle grading Choice or higher and 12% grading Prime, the industry is well positioned to sustain premium pricing,” Good notes. “Beef demand continues to be anchored by exceptional quality and strong consumer confidence in beef as a premium protein. Even as markets adjust and trade flows shift, the fundamentals supporting long-term beef demand remain solid.”

(CattleFax )

Fed Cattle Prices Steady to Slightly Higher in 2026

CattleFax forecast the average 2026 fed steer price at $224/cwt., nearly steady from the $225 average in 2025. Risk will increase later in the year as markets anticipate building supplies in 2027.

The range in prices may be narrower this year than in 2025 as well. “A year ago we had a big range in prices,” Blach summarizes. “Prices ranged from $195 at the lows in January at convention a year ago to $245. So, we had $50 range in fed cattle prices in 2025.”

All cattle classes are expected to trade higher, with 800-lb. steer prices expected to average $335/cwt., and 550-lb. steer prices averaging $440/cwt. Utility cows are expected to average $155/cwt., with bred cows at an average of $4,000/cwt.

Feeder Cattle Prices to Top Last Year

Cow-calf producers are expected to retain the strongest leverage as the cycle turns, supporting continued profitability for several more years.

“Cost of gains is as low as they are. We’re still putting a lot of gain on for around a $1 a pound,” Blach says. “So feeder cattle prices are stout. We’ve got a lot of cattle out here trading at $360, $370 right now, you know, with where the indexes are trading. So, we’re going to have very, very strong levels as we come through here.”

The additional tightness of supply in 2025 helped push prices to record levels, largely due to the closure of the Mexican border to feeder cattle imports due to New World screwworm (NWS). That took 1.2 million head out of the U.S. cattle feeding system.

However, Blach says the border will be re-opened at some point, which will have a negative impact on prices.

“We are at cycle highs based on everything that’s going on out here,” he summarizes. “So, when you’re typically there, you’ll get some correction off these levels. When we do see trade normalize, from maybe these tariffs, all the trade wars that we’ve got going on, all that stuff kind of normalize and we do see the Mexican border reopen and we get that flow of cattle, I suspect we’ll go through a correction in all these markets that we all just need to be prepared for.”

Risk Management Key

Both Good and Blach agree that the high prices outlook doesn’t mean profits will exceed 2025. Margins have gotten much tighter moving up the supply chains for backgrounders and feedlot operators. They also caution that the high prices and high volatility will make risk management even more important in 2026.

(National Cattlemen’s Beef Association)

Weather Outlook: Transition Brings Risk

La Niña continues to weaken and is expected to dissipate by March, with a transitional phase most likely through spring and early summer.

“We’re watching a classic transition year unfold,” says Matt Makens atmospheric scientist. “Even as the ocean changes, the atmosphere typically takes four to eight weeks to respond, so weather impacts will lag.”

In the near term, drought risks remain elevated across the Southern U.S. and Central Plains, with a 70% chance of intensification, especially south of I-70 and west of I-35. Spring’s neutral setup may help moisture distribute more evenly, though lingering La Niña effects could still limit precipitation west of I-35.

Summer outcomes hinge on how quickly a potential El Niño develops. A fast forming El Niño could deepen drought in corn growing regions while increasing precipitation in the West, whereas slower development may support more balanced moisture. By fall, El Niño becomes increasingly likely, though global climate factors could still alter its typical impacts.

“El Niño isn’t a guarantee of rain for everyone,” Makens summarizes. “Other global patterns can amplify or mute its influence, so close monitoring remains essential.”

Despite near-term volatility, the long-term outlook remains positive. Strong domestic demand, improving beef quality, and sufficient packing capacity are expected to continue supporting profitability for the cow-calf sector as the industry moves into the next phase of the cattle cycle.

Top Producer of the Year Finalist: Dalton Farms

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:38:13 GMT

Dalton Farms of Wakeman, Ohio is a century farm that encompasses 2,000 acres of cropland where Edward and Rebecca Dalton grow corn, wheat, soybeans and spelt. The 2026 Top Producer of the Year award finalists also have a feeder to finish operation consisting of 400 head of Holstein steers they fatten out from about 300 lb. until finish.

For its success in the business of agriculture, Dalton Farms is a finalist for Top Producer of the Year, which is sponsored by BASF and Fendt. The awards banquet will take place, Feb. 9 as part of the 2026 Top Producer Summit.

From Tragedy to Triumph

Edward is the seventh-generation on this farm that split in 1990. He says it was a hard recovery requiring big sacrifices to keep the farm operating, but it allowed him to farm with his father until 2012.

“We farmed together for about seven years after college, so unfortunately my dad passed away of a heart attack,” Edward says. “And so at 27, Rebecca and I kind of took full responsibility of the farm.”

For eight years Rebecca juggled the farm, her career in nursing and family before pivoting.

“When we had our twin boys, I realized I wanted to be home more and be more involved in the farm,” she explains.

Family Centered Beef Business Emerges

That’s when the Daltons started selling their beef direct to consumers through their on-the-farm store called the Meat Barn.

“We started selling more freezer beef in halves and quarters, and that transitioned into smaller bundles for customers because they didn’t all want to buy in bulk,” Rebecca says. “That then turned into, can we get pork from you this way? Can we get chicken from you this way? And we started stocking more of those items.”

The Meat Barn sells products at 15 local gas stations and grocery stores. Plus, Rebecca is partnering with 30 other local farmers to provide the community with a variety of products sold at the Meat Barn and through farmers markets.

“We started just working with more local vendors to sell honey and maple syrup and popcorn and sauces and all of those things as well,” she says.

This has made the Meat Barn, and their farm, an agritourism outlet that focuses on direct-to-consumer goods, and they currently have a four month waitlist for halves and quarters.

“And we’ve added on multiple times already to help with that production, but the demand is there,” she says.

Rebecca says their customers like to know the farmer that produces their food, and Edward agrees that since COVID-19 the pendulum has swung back to consumers wanting to know more about their food supply.

“I think through this movement, people do care where their food comes from again,” he says. “They want to know the farmer and wanna know the story.”

Cattle Production Focused on Health and Efficiency

While the Daltons’ family-centered beef business focuses on consumers, Edward says they’re still pushing to reach their production goals in their cattle operation.

“We’re always trying to be as efficient as we can with feed rate of gain,” he says. “We’re not trying to always reinvent the wheel but making sure we’re not missing something. To just make sure our cattle are as healthy and as efficient as they can be because I truly believe the healthier they are from Day 1 until ending, the better product you end up with.”

The Daltons’ Laser Focus on Finances

From their beef and cattle business to grain farming, the Daltons track every aspect of their finances.

“We pay attention to everything is what we really try to do and try to be efficient with our money,” Edward says. “We don’t always have the latest and greatest of everything, but we try to be productive with everything we have.”

Transition From Organic to Commercial Grain Production

For the past several years, the Daltons grew organic grain, which helped them grow financially. However, Edward says last spring they made the difficult decision to switch those acres back to commercial grain production.

“We just couldn’t dedicate the time,” he says. “We were losing too much with our kids and with life experience and time we just could get back, and we chose the time with our family over being in the field.”

According to Edward, when it comes to grain production, efficiency is still their goal.

“Well, I’d always like to be more profitable per acre in our grain side, no matter what,” he says. “I think that’s probably a typical grain farmer, never satisfied no matter what.”

Building for the Future

The Daltons are proud of the financial progress they’ve made the past several years, such as adding employees to the team. Edward says he’s excited Rebecca can now be full time on the farm.

“Certainly, a milestone was being able to have my wife leave the hospital and come join us at the farm full time and have no off-the-farm income,” he says.

Rebecca says it’s a way to help preserve the legacy of Edward’s father and have it carry on through their sons.

“I definitely see our kids on this farm,” she says. “Whether it’s working the meat barn, I can’t tell you that, but I know that they will be a part of this farm, whether it’s row crop farming or raising cattle. I think that they would definitely have a part of the farm.”

Click here to register for the 2026 Top Producer Summit.

Tightest Cattle Supply Predicted in The Next 60 to 90 Days

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:56:32 GMT

While fundamentals continue to drive the cattle market, increasing prevalence of external factors can play havoc day-to-day.

Based on placements the past six months, Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek believes the tightest supply of this entire cattle cycle will occur in the next 60 to 90 days. It wouldn’t be the first-time the market makes a high in February or March.

“Now beyond that, I don’t see there’s a tremendous chance to have an oversupply of cattle going into the summer,” he adds. “However, you’ve got things like the Mexican border that are coming into play. So, I’m trying to react to what I see, but the fundamentals aren’t going to change.”

Here are seven other takeaways from Kooima’s recent conversation with Chip Flory on AgriTalk:

1. Fundamentals Still Drive The Cattle Market.

“I wish we could just talk about cattle fundamentals,” he says. “I’m still an old-school fundamentalist who believes a lot in trying to figure out where we’re at with supply and how we’re getting along with the boxes and beef demand.”

Rumors and misguided comments, such as the New World screwworm (NWS) scare a week ago and geopolitical factors this past Tuesday, can cause the markets to react.

“Now, is it only supply? Of course not,” Kooima says, regarding what drives the markets. “But if I had to start there, barring more of this outside, new stuff we’ve been inundated with, I think the market still generally driving the deal. We don’t have enough cattle, and that’s why they’re cutting kill. That’s why they’re closing plants. There’s not enough to go around.”

2. Heifer Retention Exists But Isn’t a Major Market Factor.

Kooima says heifer retention has started but is insufficient to significantly change the supply trajectory.

“It’s not like 2015 when we flipped a switch and the whole world decided to save them at one time, but it’s there,” he says.

He’s predicting a 1% to 2% increase, saying the retention is regional — referring to the Dakotas, Montana and Colorado.

“What’s driving it is economics,” Kooima says. Some ranchers can’t afford to not sell their heifer calves, while other factors include the age of the rancher, no desire to deal with first-calf heifers and drought.

When asked if there is enough heifer retention to move the needle to bring some relief on the supply side, Kooima responds: “The short answer would be no. We’re never going to have a cow herd like we had 10 years ago. We’re going to have to figure out how to do with less.”

He says the strategy to increase supply is feeding to heavier weights and the growth in beef-on-dairy.

“The gorilla in the room, to me, is beef-on-dairy,” he says. “From a couple of standpoints, just from a raw supply standpoint, the dairy cow herd’s the biggest since 1993. It’s grown and grown, and why wouldn’t you if you can get $1,200 to $1,500 for a day-old calf?”

3. Mexico Has Built Feeding and Processing Infrastructure in Response to Border Closure.

Kooima says with the U.S.-Mexico border closed due to NWS, Mexico has figured out how to finish and process cattle.

“I think there’s a lot of people there who don’t want anything to happen,” he says, regarding reopening the border. “They’re benefiting from this great big bull market and now they’re selling the beef to us. So, it may never exactly be the way it was again. They waited too long on this matter, in my opinion. It’s not a market factor.”

4. Beef-on-Dairy and Vertical Integration Are Rising Concerns.

Kooima shares his concern about the long-term implications of vertical integration and the consequences of the growing beef-on-dairy supply.

“For the first time, you got an integrator that has the ability to control that thing from its birthday and schedule it out 341 days later to slaughter,” he explains. “A dream that the packers chase. I watched them wreck the hog market. I see what happened in poultry. This scares me to death. The combination of all of that is we’re losing price discovery. They’re going to try to slow it down as much as they can until they can control the supply.”

5. Packers Are Adapting to the Market.

Kooima says the closing of Tyson’s Lexington plant and shift reduction at its Amarillo plant are examples of the broad industry trend to reduce harvest rates and shutter facilities when supplies tighten. He explains the closing will result in even less negotiated trade. The Lexington plant primarily did formula (non-negotiated) pricing, and he predicts those formula customers will now go to Tyson’s Dakota City plant.

“Dakota City, a plant that’s closest to me, 64 miles away, is likely going to become a formula plant. It’s going to further deteriorate price discovery up in this neck of the woods,” he stresses.

He adds packers are also using tight supplies as an opportunity to perform necessary cooler clean-out cycles and reduce the number of harvest days per week.

“They’re systematically reducing kill to try to gain some leverage back,” Kooima says.

When it comes to regional packers, he hopes they can survive: “I think they’re critical to price discovery.”

6. Demand for Beef Remains Strong.

Kooima is bullish about beef demand, especially amid supply tightness.

“When people say demand is pretty good, I go ‘No, it is phenomenal,’” he says. “The demand for grind is crazy. We have to make sure we can continue to fuel that rocket.”

7. Risk Management is Essential Amid Market Uncertainty.

On protecting against risk, Kooima advises: “My mantra is and has been for a year and a half to buy some puts. You’re going to have to buy puts to keep you in business. Let’s not let 2015 happen to us again.”

He goes on to add: “Do I think that there’s a high-risk point here in the short term? No, obviously, I just said I think we’ve got the tightest numbers ever, but there’s always something that can go wrong, so be careful.”

Listen to Kooima’s and Flory’s AgriTalk conversation here:

Your Next Read — Shrinking Slaughter Capacity: What’s Next in 2026?

Tyson's Lexington Beef Plant Shutters Early: No Shifts Scheduled This Week

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:19:05 GMT

In November, Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Lexington processing plant on Jan. 20. The announcement shocked the beef industry and specifically the town of Lexington, Neb.

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) analysis estimates the annual statewide economic impact of the closure will be $3.28 billion.

The beef plant, which opened in 1990, was one of the largest in the nation. According to UNL the plant employs approximately 3,200 team members and has the capacity to slaughter 5,000 cattle per day, which equates to about 4.8% of total daily U.S. beef slaughter.

Read more:
What Does Tyson’s Announcement Mean to Beef Producers?

Sources told Farm Journal late last week, Tyson has not scheduled any shifts at the Lexington facility the week of Jan. 16.

Expected Economic Impact

The closure of the beef plant will be one of the biggest shocks in history for the small town Lexington, which is home to about 11,000 people. However, the ripple effect will be felt throughout the Nebraska economy.

According to the UNL analysis, total labor income losses from the closure are projected to be $530.43 million per year across 7,003 jobs. Of those, 3,212 are positions directly eliminated at the plant, with the remainder representing additional jobs that support the workers in other sectors

UNL expects a substantial reduction of tax revenues in the aftermath of the closure. Annual losses in state personal income tax revenue are estimated at $23.2 million. State sales tax revenues are projected to decline by $10.16 million per year, and local sales tax revenues accruing to Dawson County are expected to fall by $2.77 million per year.

Conducting the analysis was Eric Thompson, UNL economics professor, and Elliott Dennis, UNL associate professor livestock marketing and risk management.

“These impacts would be larger if a greater share of cattle processed at the plant were purchased from Nebraska feedlots or if cattle accounted for a larger proportion of total plant costs,” they explain. “Conversely, the estimated impact would be smaller if the total value of beef sold were lower. Tax rates are based on historical tax data and may vary from year to year depending on employee deductions and other factors.”

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:43:23 GMT

The White House delivered a simple but clear message to Americans today: Eat real food.

“We are finally putting real food back at the center of the American diet. Real food that nourishes the body, restores health, fuels energy and builds strength,” says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “This pivot also leans into the abundant, affordable and healthy food supply already available from America’s incredible farmers and ranchers. By making milk, raising cattle and growing wholesome fruits, vegetables and grains, they hold the key to solving our national health crisis.”

In the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades,” the White House released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 . The updated pyramid inverts the 1992 USDA version by prioritizing:

Protein (1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, an increase from 0.8 grams)
Dairy and healthy fats as the foundation
Vegetables (3 servings per day)
Fruits (2 servings per day)

Unlike the old pyramid’s grain-heavy base and processed carbs, new recommendations limit whole grains to 2 to 4 servings per day and added sugars and highly processed oils should be avoided entirely.

Eat More Protein

Rollins says the previous dietary guidelines demonized protein in favor of carbohydrates.

“These guidelines reflect gold standard science by prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods in every meal,” Rollins says. “This includes a variety of animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, in addition to plant-sourced protein foods such as beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.”

To put the new protein recommendations into perspective, Sigrid Johannes, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says for folks who should be consuming 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight that’s a 100% increase in recommended daily protein intake.

Dairy’s Seat at the Table

Dairy emerged in a strong position under the new dietary guidelines, with federal nutrition guidance supporting dairy at all fat levels for the first time.

“One of the key messages they’re telling consumers is eat dairy and eat dairy at all fat levels — that’s whole milk, cheese and butter,” says Matt Herrick of the International Dairy Foods Association. He calls it “a significant watershed moment,” reflecting how many families currently eat and shop today.

Echoing Herrick’s perspective, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud adds by better recognizing both fat and protein, the guidelines give a fuller picture of dairy’s nutritional value.

“Not all fats are created equal, and because the guidelines acknowledge this, dairy’s benefits are better reflected in this iteration of the guidelines,” Doud says.

When it comes to protein, consumer demand is reshaping the category, with cottage cheese at its highest level since the 1980s because of the high-protein trend, Herrick notes.

“Consumers are looking at labels more than ever and trying to find cleaner, less processed foods. Dairy fits that bill. Most products have just a handful of ingredients, and they’re all high in protein. People are turning to protein for growth, energy and overall health, and we’re going to continue to see consumers look to dairy to fulfill their protein and healthy fats needs,” Herrick says.

The processing sector has grown alongside the rising demand for dairy, reflecting both increased production and changing consumer preferences. Roughly $8 billion has been invested in new processing facilities from 2022 to 2025, with another $11 billion expected through 2028.

“We’re going to continue to see investments in processing facilities — new plants, updated lines and more capacity — to meet growing consumer demand for dairy protein and healthy fats,” Herrick notes.

Eat More Meat and Poultry

When it comes to meat and poultry, Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute President and CEO, says Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy’s leadership have simplified the dietary guidelines making it clear meat is a protein powerhouse.

“Robust scientific evidence demonstrates that meat is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential vitamins and highly bioavailable minerals that support human health throughout the lifespan,” Potts says.

Kansas beef producer Marisa Kleysteuber describes the new “commonsense” dietary guidelines as “exciting and refreshing.”

“As beef producers we are blessed to work with a ruminant animal that can utilize Mother Nature’s production of cellulose from rain and sunshine and then convert it to one of the most nutrient rich proteins there is,” she says. “Whether the consumer is desiring an organic, grass fed or corn fed beef product, there are cattlemen and women all over the U.S. who put their heart into raising these cattle to produce a nutritious and delicious product that we have always believed in and now our leaders are standing behind the ranchers and farmers of America.”

Quintessentially American foods such as burgers, steaks, pork chops and Easter hams can remain a staple of American households, and the guidelines go so far as to recommend parents introduce nutrient-dense foods, including meat, early and continue focusing on “nutrient-dense foods such as protein foods” throughout childhood.

“America’s pork producers appreciate the 2025 dietary guidelines putting pork front and center on the plate. They took note of producer concerns and rightly gave pork and other high-protein, nutrient-dense and delicious meats their due when it comes to Americans’ health and dietary habits,” says Rob Brenneman , National Pork Producers Council president-elect and pork producer from Washington, Iowa.

Maddie Hokanson , a Minnesota pork producer and mother of two, says the new dietary guidelines’ strong emphasis on protein is a positive for the pork industry. She believes the new guidelines, paired with pork’s quality nutrition and versatility, bring together the perfect opportunity to increase pork consumption and demand in the U.S.

“As pig farmers, we are proud to produce a meat product that is packed with high-quality protein, while also being nutrient-dense with many essential vitamins and minerals,” Hokanson says. “As a parent to young children, I see both the physical and cognitive benefits of prioritizing protein in the diet at all ages, and I’m excited to see what the short- and long-term effects of this recommendation will be.”

Three Servings of Veggies and Two Servings of Fruit

Dairy and meat weren’t the only items at the top of the new dietary pyramid. Fresh fruits and vegetables were also given top billing.

“Diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs,” says Robert F Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health.

The new dietary guidelines recommend three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day. Like past editions of the dietary guidelines , the new guidelines recommend Americans eat “a variety of colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits” and advises whole produce items be eaten “in their original form.” Though not explicitly stated, the updated guidelines also call out “frozen, dried, or canned vegetables or fruits with no or very limited added sugars” as good options.

“Today’s dietary guidelines reinforce the critical role fruits and vegetables play in overall health,” says Mollie Van Lieu, International Fresh Produce Association vice president of nutrition and health, in the group’s response. “Scientific evidence consistently shows that fruits and vegetables should make up the majority of what people eat. The Administration’s focus on whole foods is an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable intake, as they are the most nutrient-dense foods available.”

Rollins Teases Plan to Expand Real Food Retail Accessibility

There was more than the new dietary guidelines announced at the press event. Rollins mentioned upcoming changes at retail she says would increase the accessibility of whole, healthy foods to those in food deserts.

“Soon, USDA will finalize our stocking standards,” she says, explaining retailers that take SNAP benefits are bound by the stocking standards. “Very soon we will be finalizing that rule that will mandate all 250,000 retailers in America to double the type of staple foods they provide for America’s SNAP households. This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before in our country.”

Grains and Oilseed Industry Focuses on Positives

In terms of grains, in its guidance USDA recommends Americans “focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates.” The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) shared mixed reactions to the changes.

“We appreciate the continued recognition of whole grains as an essential part of Americans’ diets,” said a spokesperson with NAWG in a statement to Farm Journal. “However, we are concerned that some portions of the new guidelines around grains and wheat are unintentionally confusing. Wheat, wheat flour, and foods made from wheat have been nutrient-rich, life-sustaining staples for tens of thousands of years and deserve clear, continued support as a central part of our nation’s diet.”

The American Soybean Association (ASA) focuses on the positives saying it highlights the importance of increased protein consumption, including plant-based proteins, such as soy-based foods. They also emphasize prioritizing healthy fats, including oils rich in essential fatty acids like soybean oil.

ASA says an addendum continues to call into question the process of soybean oil extraction, which it says is scientifically proven to be safe for human health.

“Soybean oil and soy protein play a critical role in the health and nutrition of Americans,” says Scott Metzger, ASA president and Ohio farmer, in a press release. “We remain deeply concerned by the rhetoric and selectively cited studies regarding the health and safety of soybean oil in DGA supporting material.”

Metzger says soybean growers will continue to work with the administration and educate MAHA commission leadership on the health benefits of soy-based foods and soybean oil.

The National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) echoed those concern: “Vegetable oils, or “seed oils” as they’re sometimes referred to, are a significant provider of essential fatty acids and remain a safe and cost-effective source of dietary fats in the American diet, as they are globally,” said a NOPA press release. “However, some appendices rely on a narrow evidence base with limited citations, which is concerning given the administration’s rhetoric questioning the safety of certain vegetable oils despite an established scientific consensus.”

NOPA also argues oilseeds support the production of affordable meat, dairy and eggs as meal produced from oilseeds are a key component of livestock diets.

Days Numbered for Cheap Brazil Beef?

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 12:46:59 GMT

Brazil is a beef-exporting juggernaut, but the country’s ability to tame global prices may soon be tested, Bloomberg reports , noting that the country is about to enter a period of shrinking supplies.

The report noted that a surge in Brazil’s beef production has helped fuel surging exports over the past two years. It came as big herds drove down cattle prices relative to elsewhere, encouraging ranchers to send more animals to slaughter. At the same time, the U.S. and other countries struggled with high food costs and sought sources of cheaper beef. The U.S. imposed hefty tariffs on Brazilian imports earlier this year, but lifted them this fall. The tariffs were seen as a factor in helping U.S. cattle and beef prices soar to records, while the removal of the tariffs added momentum to a pullback from all-time highs for cattle futures.

But the Trump administration’s hopes that imports will help hold down U.S. beef prices come as the cycle is turning, Bloomberg noted, with prices for calves climbing in Brazil as producers begin holding back heifers to rebuild herds. That reduces the number of animals sent to slaughter and marks the start of a tightening supply cycle. Other countries are also in the process of rebuilding herds, while cattle supplies are expected to remain tight in the U.S. for at least another year amid a lack of signs that heifer retention has yet got under way. “Next year will be crucial because all the major countries in the cattle market will be in a scenario fo herd recovery,” Raphael Galo, head of agribusiness at A7 Capital, told Bloomberg.
Read more news and analysis from Pro Farmer.

Frontier Justice: Cowboy Posse Corners Deer Poacher in Buck-Wild Bust

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:48:05 GMT

When a hairy ape jumped out of a bush and scrambled over a rocky outcrop before disappearing into a canyon with a dog and three cowboys in hot pursuit, Dee Scherich witnessed the opening act to one of the wildest escapades in agriculture and outdoor history.

What followed? A story straight out of the Wild West. Outlaws, cowboy posse, legendary ranchers, yucca hideout, cake feeder truck, honey in a hotel hookup, X marks the spot, and a head-knocking duo of old-school lawmen low on patience.

“I’ve seen crazy things in my life on the ranch, and dealt with poachers my whole career, but who expects to see a damn ape-man hightailing across their land?” Scherich remarks. “Didn’t matter how long it took, we’d catch him.”

Tough as Boot Leather
Rewind the clock to 2002.

“I hope all your f***ing hogs die.” Such were the profane, final words of Kansas game warden Tracy Galvin to a brazen Oklahoma desperado. Maybe not poetic; certainly plain and punctuated.

In the heart of southwest Kansas’ monster buck universe, Comanche County was plagued by outlaws intent on trespass, slaughter, and theft of magnificent antlers worthy of display at Bass Pro or Cabela’s.

Comanche County features open country, few people, and big horns—arguably nowhere more evident than the rugged and raw Merrill Ranch , a slice of Jayhawk heaven. Laced west to east by the sandy Salt Fork of the Arkansas River, the 17,500-acre operation (including 2,000 acres of row crops) was once part of the Comanche Pool —the largest livestock spread in Kansas history. Merrill Ranch’s topography, echoing a Hollywood movie set, is characterized by flat mesas, buttes, deep canyons, gypsum hills, brick-red shale or sandstone formations, deep caves, prickly pear, and yucca. (Adjacent to Merrill, in Barber County, sits the 42,479-acre Z Bar Ranch, owned by Ted Turner.)

Cowboys of the Comanche pool.

(Photo public domain)

In 2002, Merrill was helmed by Dee and Phyllis Scherich , a duo fit for central casting or a Western novel. (A neutral observer would be forgiven for assuming the couple stepped out of a time capsule from the 1800s.) Living legends later inducted into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame , the wedded pair herded cattle, mended fencelines, and managed the outfit for 40 years.

Tough as boot leather, Dee was raised on the Merrill, riding the range in the shadow of his father, Virgil, who first worked the land in the 1940s and later became manager. Like father, like son.

Warm, kindhearted, and remarkably humble, the Scherichs never met a stranger. They also held a special wrath for outlaws, and on the Merrill, tucked in the back of beyond, right was right, and wrong was wrong.

“Damn poachers,” says Dee, 85. “We had a big population of white-tailed deer—really fine bucks. Some evenings, we’d drive out, lights off, watching for vehicles. Sometimes we could catch people, even with their headlights out if it was a moonlit night. Most of the time, we’d race after them and they’d escape at a higher rate of speed than we wanted to chase, but it got the message out that we were always watching.”

“Poach at your own risk.”

Call the Law
On the crisp morning of Nov. 13, 2002, before the opening of deer firearms season, with temps in the 30s set to reach the 50s, Scherich spotted a truck cruising his neighbor’s land—a white, flatbed pickup.

Decked in spurs, boots, cowboy hat, chaps, and Wranglers, Scherich was moving cattle in a pasture on the north end of Merrill Ranch, alongside two hired cowboys, Chris Lawless and Jim Sheets. Finishing herding duties by 11 a.m., the threesome trailered their mounts, leaving saddles and bridles in place, and began driving south across the vast property toward another roundup. Bouncing in the truck bed, Scherich’s two dogs scanned the horizon: Tedrow, a German Shorthair-Weimaraner-Border Collie mix, and Brandy, a chocolate Lab.

Dee and Phyllis Scherich, living legends, managed Merrill Ranch for 40 years.

(Photo courtesy of Phyllis Scherich)

Four miles later, easing along a dirt road with a hint of gravel, the quintet pulled over at a corner where crops met canyon, pausing to decide what part of the ranch to work next.

“We parked close to our crop fields,” Scherich describes. “We’d recently drilled 1,200 acres of wheat and it was prime for deer depredation. At night, the deer exited the canyon and fed on the wheat.”

As Scherich, Lawless, and Sheetz sat in the cab sorting priorities, Tedrow froze stiff as a statue, gazing out of the bed toward a yucca plant growing on the edge of the canyon roughly 75’ east. In a flash, Tedrow bailed from the truck.

A critter? “I thought Tedrow was going to chase a rabbit,” Scherich recalls. “Brandy, not nearly as aggressive, jumped out after him, following Tedrow.”

On a beeline, Tedrow closed on the dagger-leafed yucca, Brandy in his dust.

The yucca shifted. Literally.

“All of a sudden, a fuzzy and hairy man with a rifle stood up behind the yucca and took off running. He looked like an ape-man in camo, and he assumed he was about to get eaten alive. Of course, Tedrow and Brandy were no attack dogs, but he didn’t know that.”

The “ape-man” was a poacher garbed in a ghillie camo. In that instant, Scherich’s ranch roundup target changed from bovine to human.

“All we really knew was there was a guy in a ghillie suit on foot, hiding in some cedars in a canyon. It already sounded damn crazy,” Galvin recalls. Photo courtesy of USAF, Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol

(USAF)

The poacher retreated toward the canyon and skirted the rim, desperate to find enough slope to descend. Locating a traversable spot, he dropped over the lip into a gash roughly 100’ deep, 100’ wide extending to several hundred yards, and 1 mile long with multiple forks and a cedar thicket running along the bottom.

In tandem, Scherich and his hired men scrambled for their horses. Scherich had already made the connection: The poacher climbing down the canyon wall belonged to the flatbed pickup spotted earlier in the morning.

Pulling a two-way radio, Scherich barked a message: Another damn poacher. Call the law.

Twelve miles away, at Merrill headquarters, Phyllis was ready to pull the levers: “I called the sheriff immediately, and he promised to also alert the game wardens. Just so happened, everyone was far away or out of the county, but we had time on our side until they arrived.”

Next, Phyllis called neighbor Dave Brass and asked him to check on the odd pickup truck seen earlier. She knew the truck had to be the poacher’s only ride off the Merrill. Brass had also seen the pickup hours before, but he assumed it was the Scherich’s vehicle, because they drove a nearly identical setup.

Above the canyon, Scherich and his men road the rim, peering down for any sign of the outlaw. They had a rifle in the work truck, but carried no sidearms. “Looking into a canyon for an armed man, and not knowing if he’ll fire up at you is about as serious as things get,” Scherich emphasizes. “We wanted to keep him penned and be certain he didn’t escape.”

Scherich suspected the poacher was holed up somewhere in the bottom cedars. Brandy confirmed his suspicions. While Tedrow stayed alongside Scherich, Brandy frequently dropped into the canyon, tail wagging, and disappeared into the thicket. She knew.

“It turned into one of those days,” Phyllis describes. “You know? One of those days you never forget.”

Calls to law enforcement completed, Phyllis hopped in a Chevy S-10 and raced to the canyon. The waiting game was on.

Lust and Liaison
Bats out of hell. Kansas game wardens Tracy Galvin and B.J. Thurman, .45 caliber Glock 21’s on their hips, roared down US 400 from Dodge City, bound for Merrill Ranch roughly an hour-and-a-quarter distant. “At that point, all we really knew was there was a guy in a ghillie suit on foot, hiding in some cedars in a canyon. It already sounded damn crazy,” Galvin recalls.

Tracy Galvin, left, pictured with a cougar taken by a landowner in 2007, alongside B.J. Thurman.

(Photos by KDWP)

Straight-shooting, plain-talking conservation veterans, the bulldog duo had physical presence. Galvin backed by a 300 lb. frame and Thurman solidly stacked over 6’1”, decked in boots and cowboy hat.

Fifteen miles outside Merrill, Galvin’s cellphone buzzed. A local deputy was on the scene and had located the curious white truck seen hours earlier on the periphery of the Merrill . “Tracy, you might want to stop here first. Something’s off. The driver is from Oklahoma and things seem really weird.”

Minutes later, kicking up a cloud of dust, Galvin and Thurman pulled alongside the deputy and walked up to the white flatbed with Oklahoma plates. The vehicle had a cake feeder on the bed, ostensibly a pellet-box to feed cows—or a potential means of antler concealment.

Inside the cab, the evidence was telltale. A roadmap of Kansas, an empty rifle scabbard, and a hunting magazine open to a feature on Kansas monster deer, with hand-drawn scrawls circled around Comanche County. X marks the spot. Bull’s-eye. Almost too farcical for reality.

Thirty-something Howard Storment out of Sweetwater, Oklahoma, was behind the wheel. However, the vehicle was registered to Billy Palmer.

Galvin laid the trap.

“Son, what in the hell are you doing out here?”

“Me and my buddy are looking to buy used farm equipment.”

“How do you find the equipment?”

“We drive around till we spot it.”

Galvin spooled out more line. “You come to the least populated county in the state and you roam around in the middle of nowhere until you find an old tractor in a field? Then you contact the landowner to buy it? That’s the story you’re going with?”

“Yessir.

Galvin tightened the screws. “The gun case. That belong to your buddy, Billy Palmer?”

“Yessir.”

“Well, where in the hell is he?”

Without skipping a beat, Storment claimed lust and liaison. “We’re staying in Medicine Lodge (40 miles east) and he got lucky with some Kansas woman last night. I ain’t seen him since he ran off with her.”

Part of a 2009 seizure of poached bucks by Thurman (second row, yellow shirt, cowboy hat) and Galvin (standing on Thurman’s right). “Don’t come to Kansas to poach,” Galvin said. “Stay the hell away.”

(Photo courtesy of B.J. Thurman)

“And I suppose he took his rifle with him when he hooked up with the woman?”

Stumped, Storment paused, unsure of what rabbit trail to go down.

Galvin seized the pregnant moment. “Son, you should know we have a guy penned up the road in a canyon. You think that might just be your good buddy, Billy?”

“Lord, I hope not.”

“Let’s go,” Galvin added. “You’re coming with us.”

Lyin’ Eyes
The scene around the canyon conjured the ghost of John Wayne. A mounted posse of cattlemen, lariats at the ready, searching for an outlaw.

“I’ve never, never seen anything like it in my life,” Thurman exclaims. “We drove up to a group of cowboys looking like they were about to string somebody up, cow dogs running around, and a sunuvabitch cornered.”

Maintaining watch at various points around the lip of the canyon were Dee Scherich, Phyllis Scherich, Chris Lawless, Jim Sheets, Marti Sheets, Dave Brass, along with the county sheriff and his young deputy.

Phyllis chuckles at the memory. “Of all the places to poach and of all the plentiful spaces to hide in our part of the state, this guy, Palmer, picked the wrong spot. We owed it all to Tedrow. We’d have never known a thing and Palmer would have killed a monster. Instead, Palmer picked a yucca right where Dee stopped, and then got chased by Tedrow into the canyon—a trap. We were all congregated, waiting on the law, and there was no way he was escaping.”

“I remember the sheriff and deputy being nervous,” Phyllis continues, “but Tracy and B.J. weren’t even a little bit hesitant.”

Galvin and Thurman were integral to multiple poaching busts, including this massive 2009 seizure.

(Photo by KDWP)

Galvin and Thurman peered over the rim. “We watched one of the posse’s dogs go down into the thicket, tail wagging,” Thurman notes. “Clearly, Billy Palmer was in there.”

Thurman leaned over the canyon edge and bellowed: “Billlllly. Billlllly. Billlllly Palmer. We’ve got your buddy, Howard. Bring your ass out, now.”

The jig was up. Within minutes, Palmer emerged without a rifle and began climbing up the canyon. Galvin and Thurman moved down a slight slope to intercept.

As Palmer neared, Galvin snapped out a clear order, “Stop and show your hands.”

Palmer kept walking. Galvin repeated the order. Palmer walked on.

“We had no idea if he had a pistol, knife, or other weapon hid on him,” Galvin describes. “When he refused to stop, we had no choice. B.J. tackled him and laid him out, and I screwed a pistol into his ear.”

Palmer didn’t flinch.

“Whoahhh,” Galvin recalls. “That’s when we knew this wasn’t his first rodeo with law enforcement. He had no reaction to the handgun. Just another day for him. Of course, we found out later they had done this before in Iowa: Shoot a big deer, come back later, cut off the head, hide it in the cake feeder, and drive away. By all appearances, just a couple of honest farm workers hard at work.”

Thurman seized Palmer’s cell phone. Despite no reception, the cell told the canyon tale. “Palmer was taking a risk by poaching out where cell service is poor, but when he went in the canyon, his spotty service went to absolute zero,” Thurman says. “He was trying to communicate with Howard, but he couldn’t get a signal. When we got his phone, there were too many calls out—all unsuccessful—to count. When he entered the canyon, it was over.”

Standing in the midst of the posse and law enforcement, Palmer denied possession of a rifle. Who ya gonna believe? Me or your lyin’ eyes?

Scherich was incensed. “He lied about not having a rifle and was calling us liars for saying otherwise. This guy was wearing camo, hiding on a ranch with big deer, and then daring to claim he had no gun. It’s a low breed of a man who steals your time, tries to poach your deer, and then calls you a liar.”

Scherich hit the trail, rode into the canyon, and found the rifle. “Turns out, he’d hid it in some other trees before easing into the cedar thicket.

For Scherich and Phyllis, the cat-and-mouse game was over. They’d lost almost a whole day of ranch work to Palmer and Storment. It was time to go the barn and undress the horses.

“It was a done deal for us,” Phyllis says. “We have so many stories from our decades on the ranch, but that’s one of the wildest. Apparently, it wasn’t over for the game wardens.”

Time for a jailhouse confession?

Saccharine Grin
Judge Loren Cronin didn’t take kindly to poachers. Palmer and Storment were each hit with $10,000 cash bail. Several days later, growing restless behind bars, Palmer summoned Galvin, begging for a way out of lockup.

From left: Tracy Galvin, left, and B.J. Thurman, after a wild pig hunt.

(Photo courtesy of KDWP)

“He said he needed to go home really bad because he had a hog farm and he needed to feed the hogs. He said his wife was having to do all the work,” Galvin remembers.

Galvin threw Palmer a bone: Tell the whole truth and I’ll help kick you loose.

Palmer agreed. Camera equipment in tow to record the confession, Galvin visited the jailhouse the same night. However, just prior to Galvin’s arrival, Palmer received word that his wife was enroute with $10,000.

Galvin walked into the interrogation room, set up the audio equipment, and pressed record. “Okay, Billy, tell us how it all started and who was involved.”

“You tell me,” Palmer answered, wearing a saccharine grin. “You seem to know it all.”

Galvin shook his head in disgust and threw in the towel. “I’m done. Take your ass back to the cell.”

As Palmer exited the room, Galvin delivered a parting shot: “I hope all your f***ing hogs die.”

A Final Message
All told, Palmer and Storment each received $1,800 in fines for the 2002 poaching violation. Case closed. Almost.

Over a decade later, beyond Galvin’s retirement from the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks in 2009, he got a phone call from a conservation officer in northwest Arkansas.

“After all those years, my game warden friend close to Bentonville called me and said he’d caught Billy doing the same kind of poaching business. He just wanted me to know he was in custody.”

Before hanging up, Galvin asked his Arkansas counterpart to deliver a message.

“Tell Billy, the game warden in Kansas still hopes all his f***ing hogs die.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Farmer Unearths Lost Treasure, Solves WW2 Mystery

Beef Producers React to USDA's Plan to Fortify Industry and Trump's Social Media Comments

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:41:29 GMT

In an effort to strengthen the American beef industry and reinforce and prioritize the rancher’s critical role in national security, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and other cabinet members announced a suite of actions on Wednesday.

Since 2017, the U.S. has lost over 17% of family farms — more than 100,000 operations over the last decade. The national herd is at a 75-year low while consumer demand for beef has grown 9% over the past decade. Because increasing the size of the domestic herd takes time, USDA says it is investing now to make these markets less volatile for ranchers over the long term and more affordable for consumers.

“America’s food supply chain is a national security priority for the Trump Administration. We are committed to ensuring the American people have an affordable source of protein and that America’s ranchers have a strong economic environment where they can continue to operate for generations to come,” Rollins says in a press release . “At USDA we are protecting our beef industry and incentivizing new ranchers to take up the noble vocation of ranching. Today, USDA will immediately expedite deregulatory reforms, boost processing capacity, including getting more locally raised beef into schools, and working across the government to fix longstanding common-sense barriers for ranchers like outdated grazing restrictions.”

The plan includes three coordinated priorities:

Protecting and improving the business of ranching
- Strengthening the foundation of U.S. cattle production through endangered species reforms, enhanced disaster relief, increased grazing access (approximately 5 million acres), increased access to capital, and affordable risk management tools.
Expanding processing, consumer transparency and market access.
- Lowering long-term costs by cutting inspection costs by up to 75% for small processors, increasing marketing options for consumers with Product of USA labeling and ensuring consumers have clear, truthful information about American beef.
Building demand alongside domestic supply
- Growing the domestic herd while boosting domestic and international demand so that ranchers are not trapped in the boom/bust cycle that has defined past cattle markets. This strategy includes boosting long-term demand to reduce prices for consumers while growing markets for ranchers through significant farm-to-school grans and protein-focused dietary guidelines.

The plan is available through the USDA website.

Trump Takes to Social on Beef

President Donald Trump shared his perspective on beef industry success on X.

“The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% tariff on Brazil,” Trump posted.

Following the post, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) made a post on Facebook in response and also released a statement on the president’s steps to undercut U.S. cattle producers:

“In a misguided effort to lower the price of beef in grocery stores, President Trump said he plans to increase the volume of beef being imported from Argentina. Efforts to manipulate markets only risk damaging the livelihoods of American cattlemen and women, while doing little to impact the price consumers are paying at the grocery store.”

“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and its members cannot stand behind the President while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef in an attempt to influence prices,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “It is imperative that President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins let the cattle markets work.”

”The U.S. already faces a deep trade imbalance with Argentina, one that is made worse by the President’s plan. During the past five years, Argentina has shipped beef valued at more than $800 million to the U.S., while purchasing only $7 million of U.S. beef. Furthermore, Argentina is a nation with a long history of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and USDA has not completed the necessary steps to ensure Argentina can guarantee the safety of the products being shipped here, further endangering America’s cattle herd.

“If President Trump is truly an ally of America’s cattle producers, we call on him to abandon this effort to manipulate markets and focus instead on the promised New World Screwworm facilities in Texas; making additional investments that protect the domestic cattle herd from foreign animal diseases such as FMD; and addressing regulatory burdens, such as delisting of the gray wolf and addressing the scourge of black vultures,” Woodall said, concluding the statement.

Your Next Read: Is Argentina Beef the Answer to Lowering Beef Prices?

Trump Says His Administration is Working on Lowering Beef Prices

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 13:59:26 GMT

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration was working to lower the price of beef in the country.

“We are working on beef, and I think we have a deal on beef,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

The price of beef is “higher than we want it, and that’s going to be coming down pretty soon too. We did something,” Trump added, without elaborating.

Beef prices have climbed to record highs after cattle ranchers slashed their herds due to a years-long drought in the western U.S. that dried up lands used for grazing and raised feeding costs.

By the beginning of the year, the herd had dwindled to 86.7 million cattle, the smallest number for the time period since 1951, according to U.S. government data.

The Meat Institute, which represents meatpacking companies, said it needed to learn more about Trump’s plans to lower prices.

The administration of former President Joe Biden blamed meatpacking companies for rising food costs.

Last week, processors Tyson Foods TSN.N and Cargill agreed to pay a combined $87.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by consumers who accused the companies of conspiring to inflate beef prices by restricting supply. The companies have denied wrongdoing.

Meatpackers such as Tyson have lost money in their beef businesses as tight cattle supplies force them to pay more to buy animals to slaughter.

Supplies tightened further this year after USDA halted imports of Mexican livestock to keep out a damaging pest spreading in Mexico. Mexican cattle were formerly imported to be fattened in U.S. feedlots and slaughtered in U.S. processing plants.

Tariffs that Trump imposed on Brazilian goods have also slowed U.S. imports of Brazilian beef that was mixed with U.S. supplies to make hamburger meat.

Recently, some U.S. ranchers have begun taking initial steps to start rebuilding the herd . However, it takes about two years before beef output rises after they make the first moves to expand because that is how long it takes to raise full-grown cattle, ranchers said.

Last month, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA in mid-October would provide details on a plan to revitalize the decimated herd that would not include payments to producers.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Costas Pitas and Tom Polansek; Writing by Ismail Shakil, Editing by Franklin Paul and Diane Craft)

Your Next Read: Cattle Crash on Trump’s Plan to Lower Beef Prices: Row Crops Rally

How Many Minutes Does a Consumer Have to Work to Buy A Pound of Ground Beef?

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:02:49 GMT

It’s a balancing act — consumer demand, economic challenges and beef pricing.

“The consumer has been saying I’m willing to work a little bit more to pay for that pound of beef,” says Lance Zimmerman, RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness senior beef industry analyst. “That’s a positive demand story.”

Zimmerman’s analysis has found that regardless of income bracket, consumers are willing to work more minutes to afford a pound of beef.

According to Zimmerman:

Highest income earners work about 6 minutes to buy a pound of ground beef
Lowest income earners work two to three times longer — around 26 minutes
The median (middle 50%) works about 14 minutes to purchase a pound of ground beef

Zimmerman says his research suggests U.S. minutes worked to pay for a pound of USDA Choice beef or ground beef at retail might have been higher in the late 1970s or early ‘80s.

“Using an adjusted disposable personal income as a proxy, suggests the highs may have been 1979-1980, but the price points experienced in 2014-2015 would have been a close second,” he explains.

The uptrend beef demand has experienced recently is indicative of the demand growth for beef since the 1998 lows.

“It shows an increased willingness to pay from U.S. consumers in terms of minutes of labor allocation,” he explains. “This is why it is so important for the U.S. beef industry not to get hung up on a price point. They shift with income changes.”

(RaboResearch)

The USDA Choice retail beef price has been above $9/lb. since June, and the 2025 annual average will certainly be above $9/lb. At the 2015 annual highs, the average price was $6.29/lb., but income growth created opportunity for beef price increases to be substantially higher before hitting the recent highs in minutes worked for a pound of beef – either USDA Choice beef or ground beef.

“My opinion is that we need to stop saying beef is a luxury item,” Zimmerman says. “It is for a portion of the population, but for many, it’s just another price that has increased. Convert beef prices to minutes worked per lb. There is a long-run uptrend, but relative prices aren’t crazy today.”

Don Close, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, has also tracked beef prices compared to hourly wages. He says when he correlates the monthly all fresh beef price to hourly wages, he found they are in lockstep.

“Yes, beef prices have escalated, but beef prices have not risen any faster than the improvement in overall hourly wage,” Close explains. “So, from the consumer’s perspective, their share of their paycheck committed to beef is essentially the same as it’s been on a comparative basis for years.”

He says the Bureau of Labor Statistics post the average hourly wage by month, for the year-to-date average hourly wage is $36.17 an hour.

“The calculations I have run are for All Fresh Beef,” Close says. “I have 14.21 minutes to buy a pound of beef. I have the numbers for pork, and comprehensive broilers as well. I believe the data. I have gone so far as to walk grocery stores and run the numbers.”

He adds the analysis looks at absolute basic commodity items.

“As soon as you start looking at any value-added products the price escalates,” Close says.

How High Can Beef Prices Survive?

“From a production standpoint, we’re continuing to check all the right boxes,” Zimmerman says. “We’re continuing to produce better, high-quality, very safe, nutritious beef. As long as we see some gains in income and a strong labor market going forward, there’s further opportunities for this beef, and cattle market by proxy, to have some additional runway.”

He predicts retail beef prices can easily be supported above $9 and probably $9.50 to $10 by the end of the year.

Two Threats to Beef Demand

“This is not a risk-free environment from a demand standpoint,” Zimmerman says. “The reason the analyst and economist community has said demand has some threats is because the threats are real.”

He outlines two key threats to consumer demand:

1. Economic Threats: He points out housing affordability, student loan debt, credit card debt and the “buy now, pay later” credit services are economic challenges facing today’s consumer.

2. Consumer Behavior Threats: These challenges include potential drop in income, recession risk and multiple financial pressures competing for consumer dollars.

Zimmerman’s message is that while these threats exist consumer demand remains resilient. He suggests the industry must monitor these potential disruptions while understanding consumers’ continued willingness to prioritize beef purchases.

Consumer Adaption

Zimmerman says consumer adaptation strategies are minimizing the stress of higher beef prices.

He explains today’s beef consumer is cooking more meals at home, increased couponing, buying more in bulk, seeks deals through shopper ads, leans toward discount retailers and a growing preference for store brands/private labels.

Consumers are shifting within the chain, rather than out of the beef supply chain, he explains.

“For example, the cost of an at-home meal has increased around $1.50/meal since 2005, but the cost of a restaurant meal has increased nearly $10/meal in that time,” he says. “So, consumers are choosing to buy more at retail and eat out less frequently. That doesn’t necessarily hurt beef as long as it remains a part of that at-home meal solution.”

Close adds three other key factors impacting consumer demand:

Protein craze. Close points out the number of “center-of-the-aisle” items that have grams of protein or protein added on the packaging. He adds consumers realize, “Beef is king as the original protein source.”
Processing efficiency and value options. “We’re doing such a good job of trimming that there’s essentially very little or zero waste,” he says. “New cuts like petite tender and Denver steak fit portion control better with the smaller households.”
The wealth effect. “If you look at the consumer wealth index and the equities market and when the housing market is strong, consumers feel the wealth effect that improves their confidence to spend money,” he explains. “Even if their salary alone, they might be in a position maybe to draw back a little bit, but those with those secondary wealth drivers going on, they just feel better about the world.”

Zimmerman summarizes today’s consumer is not choosing to substitute beef.

“As beef prices go up, all else equal, consumers don’t just default run,” Zimmerman says.

“Beef is expensive, and yes, the consumer has said it’s expensive, but worth it.”

Australian Beef Has Replaced U.S. Supply in China

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 21:05:41 GMT

U.S. shipments to China, worth around $120 million a month, collapsed after Beijing in March allowed permits to expire at hundreds of American meat facilities amid a tit-for-tat trade war.

However, U.S. beef exports have generally declined in recent years as drought shrank the country’s cattle herd, reducing production and pushing prices to record highs, but the drop in trade with China has been farm more sudden and extreme.

The value of U.S. beef sent to China tumbled to $8.1 million in July and $9.5 million August, according to Chinese trade data, compared to $118 million and $125 million in the same months a year earlier.

Brazil, China’s largest beef supplier, has also stepped up exports in recent months, but Australia has benefited most as its grain-fed beef is the closest equivalent to U.S. products.

Reuters quoted U.S. Meat Export Federation spokesperson Joe Schuele, who stated, “The beef impasse with China has very little to do with beef. It’s entangled in other issues between the U.S. and China. If they can make progress on those issues, we see more hope for getting this resolved.” Schuele also noted that we still need to export the cuts that do not attract a lot of attention in the domestic market, “we’re losing out on the upward pressure of the Chinese bids.”

However, even with a trade agreement, Matt Dalgleigh, a meat and livestock analyst at Australian consultants indicated that even with a trade agreement, the U.S. would struggle to take back market share for several years.
More news and analysis from Pro Farmer.

How Much Meat Will the U.S. Eat in 2025 and 2026?

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:48:46 GMT

Domestic availability of red meat, poultry and eggs is projected to increase in 2025, driven by gains in chicken and pork availability, and is expected to rise further in 2026, reports the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS). This increase stems from USDA’s forecast of per capita supply available for use on the domestic market.

How are these numbers determined? ERS says availability, also known as disappearance, serves as a proxy for consumption and includes fresh and processed meat and eggs sold through grocery stores and used in restaurants.

“The latest USDA data indicate 226 lb. of red meat and poultry and about 22 dozen eggs are available per U.S. consumer in 2025. By 2026, per capita availability is forecast to increase to 227 lb. for red meat and poultry and to 23 dozen eggs,” ERS reports.

Data for 2025 and 2026 are forecasts. Per capita meat availability serves as a proxy for consumption and does not reflect indirect uses, such as pet food or food waste.

(Data: USDA)

Chicken Projected to Be Most Consumed Animal Product
For chicken, per capita availability of broiler meat has been growing for many years and is projected to reach 102.7 lb. in 2025 and 102.8 lb. in 2026, ERS says. This will make it the most consumed animal product in the U.S.

However, availability of turkey has been falling in recent years and is projected to reach a low of 13.0 lb.per person in 2025 but increase to 13.6 lb. in 2026.

Per capita table egg availability for 2025 is projected at 21.5 dozen and is projected to increase to 22.9 dozen per person in 2026.

Pork and Beef Projections
ERS reports that pork availability per capita is projected at 49.7 lb. in 2025 and 50.9 lb. in 2026, up from 49.9 lb. in 2024.

Meanwhile, per capita beef availability for 2025 is projected to be slightly lower than 2024 at 58.5 lb., but is projected to decrease further to 56.9 lb. per person in 2026.

Big Wins for Beef Exports: What It Means for the Industry

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 21:25:05 GMT

Australia has moved to reduce restrictions on U.S. beef imports as an attempt to smooth trade talks with the Trump administration and avoid tariffs. The U.S. beef industry has had several trade wins this week with frameworks also announced with top beef export markets like Japan and South Korea.

The U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took effect in 2005 and was intended to allow U.S. beef to be sold in Australia. During the past 20 years, Australia has used countless tactics to delay implementation of the agreement and prevent any shipments of fresh or frozen U.S. beef from entering Australia.

Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association executive director of government affairs, says during the same 20-year period, “They’ve been able to ship roughly $29 billion worth of beef to our market, but because of a lot of bureaucratic red tape and all in the name of biosecurity Australia has kept us out.”

🇺🇸👍 Another trade win for American beef industry@POTUS has secured greater ag market access to Australia for U.S. beef producers. Statement from @SecRollins ➡️ https://t.co/OtSdn8smu6 pic.twitter.com/lxAkAqu40t
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) July 24, 2025

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a statement congratulating President Donald Trump on the Australia announcement.

“American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world. It’s absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years,” she says.

NCBA President and Nebraska Cattleman Buck Wehrbein adds, “NCBA has spent decades working to correct this trade imbalance, and we are proud to have a president who is willing to fight for American farmers and ranchers, expand export markets and fix unfair trade agreements across the world.”

With the announcement, Australia has approved importation of U.S. fresh and frozen beef of all ages, allowing the U.S. to ship product very soon.

“This is a big win for us,” Bacus says.

He explains this paves the way for complementary trade and growth as Australia is currently not a big market for U.S. beef. It is an opportunity for the U.S. to develop a consumer base in Australia for higher end cuts.

Japan Framework Released

Bacus says the new framework with Japan , also extends gains from the existing Free Trade Agreement and he hopes the president is eventually able to negotiate the tariff on U.S. beef down to zero.

“That tariff is phasing down to 9%, we’re about halfway there, but we really need to kind of push that along because Japanese consumers want our product,” he says.

Dan Halstrom, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) president and CEO, says, “USMEF greatly appreciates the Trump administration’s agreement with Japan, reassuring and expanding opportunities in the No. 2 export destination for U.S. beef and pork.

“In President Trump’s first term, the critical U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement was reached, returning U.S. red meat to a level playing field in Japan and restoring its position as an extremely reliable market,” Halstrom says. “According to the information released by the White House, the new agreement focuses on reinforcing the long-term economic partnership between the U.S. and Japan, which for decades has delivered tremendous benefits for the U.S. livestock and meat industries and for Japanese consumers, importers and customers.”

Other Frameworks and Opportunities

South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed their commitment to reach a trade agreement ahead of the Aug. 1 U.S.-imposed deadline when U.S. tariffs are set to rise.

South Korea’s framework would also expand the FTA struck in 2012. Bacus says they’re pushing to get BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) beef restrictions still in place since the U.S. regained market access in 2008 removed.

“For Korea, all we asked was for consultations to remove that 30-month restriction that we have due to BSE,” he says. “We know that is a sensitive issue for Korea, but quite honestly, there’s no scientific justification for keeping us out. And we have developed a lot of trust with Korean consumers.”

Since the FTA in 2012, Korea has become the largest export market for U.S. beef with sales of more than $2 billion annually.

Bacus also mentioned progress is being made with Indonesia and other Asian Pacific countries. He appreciates Trump’s push to get the U.S. back to the negotiating table.

“For the last four years, the Biden administration had stepped away from that. We were not talking about market access. We weren’t talking about a lot of significant trade issues,” he says. “We were able to get a couple of technical things resolved, but overall, there weren’t real benefits being delivered for agriculture, and that has shifted. And other countries know that other countries are looking to avoid this Aug. 1 deadline for retaliation. This presents a good opportunity for us to basically make up for a lot of lost time.”

China Hopes Continue

Bacus says they are closely watching next week’s talks between the U.S. and China.

The third round of discussions is set to take place in Stockholm and while it isn’t likely to result in a deal, it is an important step in the process.

He emphasizes that China did not fulfill their purchase obligations under the Phase One deal and has also failed to renew export certifications for 394 U.S. beef plants, which is effectively keeping the U.S. out of the Chinese market.

“China could be a good market, but we cannot put all of our eggs in one basket,” he summarizes. “We need to really build demand around the world and build relationships with trusted partners, starting with our allies. We’re hopeful that we can resolve issues with China, but we have to be realistic in the fact that China will play these games from time to time, and we need access to markets we can trust, that are dependable and that are going to live up to their word.”

Possible 50% Tariff on Brazil Also a Win

President Trump has also threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, which would include beef.

Bacus says NCBA would like Brazil’s market access to be fully stripped due to concerns regarding Foot and Mouth Disease but this move would effectively help level the playing field.

“In the last five years, we’ve only been able to export $21 million worth of U.S. beef to Brazil,” he says. “Meanwhile, they’ve sold about $4.5 billion worth of beef into this market. A lot of that is lean trim, we fully understand, but you’ve got to look at that significant imbalance and look at the cause of that, and it’s these unfair trade practices.”

He adds Brazil shouldn’t have access to the U.S. until it can demonstrate it has an equivalent level of food safety and animal health.

Why Aren't High Beef Prices Causing Sticker Shock With Consumers?

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:28:06 GMT

Gound beef prices across the U.S. continue to reach new highs. Retail prices for ground beef hit its highest level in history in June climbing above $6 per pound, while steaks were up 8% at $11.49 per pound.

(Bureau of Labor Statistics )

“The record high retail beef price reported by the most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) has prompted a lot of calls about why prices are record high and whether there is any relief in sight,” says David Anderson, Texas A&M Extension economist for livestock and food product marketing. “While we often write about the great cattle prices for producers who are selling, there is a flip side, and that is consumers who are buying beef.”

Anderson explains reduced slaughter and beef production, especially in the second quarter of the year, cut supplies just as grilling season heated up for seasonal beef demand. The combination led to a spike in wholesale prices and retail beef prices.

Don Close, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, says: “What we have seen so far is consumers have been incredibly loyal to protein collectively, but they have been especially loyal to beef, and beef is actually continuing to gain market there, even at the current prices at the expense of the other protein.”

Wages Are Keeping Pace With Beef Prices

Close says when he correlates the monthly all fresh beef price to hourly wages he found they are in lock step.

“Yes, beef prices have escalated, but beef prices have not risen any faster than the improvement in overall hourly wage,” he explains. “So from the consumer’s perspective, their share of their paycheck committed to beef is essentially the same as it’s been on a comparative basis for years.”

(Don Close, Terrain )

Other contributing factors to beef demand include consumers’ craze for protein and the impact of GLP-1 diets on protein consumption.

Scott Varilek, Kooima Kooima Varilek, says: “I think beef demand has just proven time and time again — hey, consumers want it. It’s a great healthy protein, and I think it’s got a lot of good traction here over the last year of being a good quality source of food.”

High Quality Attracts Consumer Spending

Plus, with 82% to 84% of the beef produced grading Choice or better, the high quality of beef is pushing demand.

“I don’t see any weakness really in the consumers or their spending habits,” says Mike Minor, professional ag marketing. “We actually are eating more Prime meat today than Choice for the first time ever. So, people like their expensive meat still.”

How Long Will High Cattle and Beef Prices Last?

Last week USDA reported average fed cash cattle prices hit the second-highest level in history at $237.78, up 57¢ from the average the prior week.

The high cattle and beef prices continue to be driven by tight cattle numbers, the Mexican boarder closing due to New World screwworm and looming import challenges.

Yet, Close says the role of strong demand can’t be ignored and is likely to continue.

“I think it’s certainly through 2026 and really more realistic somewhere deep into 2027,” he adds.

Anderson explains normal seasonal production and demand would suggest prices falling from recent highs. Evidence from the wholesale beef market over the last couple of weeks indicates lower prices.

“Seasonal price patterns would suggest that there is a chance for a little bit of relief from record high beef prices,” Anderson says. “But, only if we compare to the peak price this summer. Wholesale beef prices are already declining.”

He adds there is a time lag from lower wholesale prices showing up at retail, but lower wholesale prices combined with normal seasonality of various cut prices should lead to the expectation of falling prices in the coming months.

“But, it’s not likely that prices will decline below year-ago levels,” Anderson emphasizes.

Inventory Reports Release on July 25

Close says more will be known about supply levels after the USDA Cattle on Feed and Cattle Inventory reports on Friday.

“While market analysts expect lower placements, marketings and cattle in feedyards than a year ago, the really interesting number will be the number of heifers on feed on July 1,” Anderson summarizes. “The heifers on feed will provide some insight into heifer retention. Also, look for placements in Texas due to the ban on Mexican feeder cattle. The lack of spayed heifers coming from Mexico is important in evaluating the number of heifers on feed.”

Your Next Read: What Americans Won’t Give Up in 2025: Spending Priorities Revealed

The Smell You'll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:41:22 GMT

“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”

He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”

It’s a Plague in Panama

Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.

“⁠This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses. “Post-calving cows are sitting ducks, I found one last week with maggots deep in her vulva, she was trembling as she tried to nurse her calf.”

An animal health professional treating an animal in Panama that has been infected by New World Screwworm.

(Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa)

To catch NWS and stop the spread, Espinosa encourages daily wound checks including navels on newborns, vulvas on fresh cows, sheaths on bulls, branding cuts and tagging nicks. Some red flags include a wound that swells overnight or oozes cloudy fluid and a milk tank mysteriously dropping.

“Treat every scratch like a ticking bomb,” he says adding if you find one with a wound acting a little strange, you should “peel back skin edges, and if you see rice-grain maggots with dark spines — sound the alarm.”

He says more than 6,500 cases have erupted across Panama, marching north through Central America like a plague.

“For years, our U.S.-Panama barrier kept NWS at bay,” Gallardo says. “We’d see maybe 25 cases a year — it was a nuisance, not a crisis. Then 2023 hit, and overnight our pastures became war zones.”

He says the reality in Panama is rainy season is maggot season.

“Here, in Chiriquí’s dairy country, it is the perfect storm,” he says. “Rainy season humidity of 90%, 85°F heat and flies everywhere. A single-infected cow bleeds $10/day in lost milk — its life or death for small dairies.”

NWS in Nicaragua

Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez, an agronomist from Camoapa, Nicaragua, says NWS was eradicated from Nicaragua in the 1990s. He says he first encountered it during an internship in Brazil where he experienced the serious challenge the fly causes.

“When cases began appearing here again last year, I was able to use what I learned in Brazil to prepare veterinary supplies and train people on prevention and treatment,” he explains.

(Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez)

He says it’s essential to enforce a daily inspection routine, checking every animal carefully for open wounds.

“When you find an infected animal, you’ll typically see a bleeding wound,” Sequeira says. “If the infestation has progressed, there will be a strong, foul smell due to tissue damage and the presence of larvae.”

He encourages U.S. producers to be prepared with sufficient supplies of veterinary medicines and insecticides for both treatment and prevention and to adjust management practices to reduce risk. For example:

When dehorning, branding or ear tagging, apply insecticide spray to the wound immediately.
Ensure proper care of newborn calves by disinfecting the navel with iodine solution as soon as possible, since that is the most common entry point for infestation.

“Although complete control of screwworm is not possible, taking preventive measures significantly reduces the economic and productivity impact of it,” he says. “Early detection and consistent preventive practices are critical to minimizing losses.”
Sequeira stresses a producer’s eyes and hands are their best tools to fight NSW.

“My warning to U.S. ranchers is this isn’t just a Panama problem,” he summarizes. “Newborn calves are maggot magnets. If you lose one calf to a navel infestation, you’ll never sleep again. Make inspections sacred — no excuses. Report fast and hide nothing.”

It’s Endemic in Brazil

Marcelo Costa is a veterinarian, professor and cattle business consultant in Brazil and Paraguay. In 1999, Costa was taught embryo transfer at Camp Cooley in Franklin, Texas. He then returned to his family’s third generation ranching operation where they started Camp Cooley Brazil.

“I have been dealing with screwworm all my life since it is endemic in Brazil,” Costa says. “Screwworm-infected animals happen all months of the year.”

A wound in the animal skin full of screwworm and new fly eggs in the skin borderline

(Marcelo Costa)

Like others, he has experienced finding infected animals with bleeding, foul-smelling wounds. He says animals show discomfort and may not follow the herd as normal.

“Newborn calves are usually the more attacked category because of the navel’s wet and bloody tissue,” he says. “If a screwworm infects the navel, it may open a door at the site for more severe infections that may cause diarrhea, pneumonia and other diseases.”

Costa stresses how much NWS costs producers beyond animal loss and decreased productivity.

“One of the biggest problems with NWS is the increased labor with vigilance and animal treatment,” he summarizes.

Guatemala Producers Are Learning to Cope with NWS

“Screwworm came to teach us the times are changing, and that any type of production is possible and open to any complication,” says Oscar León, a livestock production specialist and agricultural business administrator from Guatemala City, Guatemala. “Brazil learned how to cope with it, and Guatemala is in the process of it. The U.S. is not exempt from it, unfortunately. But with the adequate measures and prevention techniques, one can learn and teach others. We can make the impact less harmful on our production and wallets.”

(Oscar León)

León currently manages his family’s cattle operations and leads LAVAT S.A., a company that imports and distributes innovative animal health and nutrition products tailored to the needs of the Guatemalan livestock sector.

He explains it is important for producers to look for and treat any open wound or bruise as they are the first indicators.

“If an open wound smells like the scent of rotten meat, you will find the presence of screwworms feeding off live tissue,” he says. “Prevention and early timing are the best ways to treat screwworm. Make sure to take your time, observe your cattle, search for a bruise or wounds and treat them properly.”

He also stresses the importance of making sure everyone who works in the farm or ranch is aware of NWS and knows how to react if an infection is found.

Educating U.S. Producers

Chris Womack, a veterinarian and rancher from San Angelo, Texas, says he remembers helping his dad treat calves with NWS infestations.

“I can still remember the smell,” Womack says. “I thought it was cool because I was a little kid, and we dug maggots out of the calves. I can still smell it like it was yesterday, and it was horrible to look at them.”

Womack shares a historic context of NWS, which he says means “man-eater,” on the “Registered Ranching” podcast with Tucker Brown.

Womack also describes the emotional toll on the producer when faced with NWS.

“If you’re a steward of an animal and it has half of its head rotting off, or its abdomen is a gaping wound because the maggots are eating it up, or it gets in their ear and they’re walking around in circles with brain damage because they got meningitis, well, it’s devastating.”

Womack summarizes NWS isn’t just an agricultural issue, it’s a human health concern. Historical accounts and recent data from Panama show NWS can affect humans, particularly vulnerable populations like homeless individuals or those in areas with limited medical access.

Womack says the experiences with NWS during his childhood is the reason he is a veterinarian today. He says there is a generational ignorance in the U.S. regarding NWS, and that is something he is committed to fixing.

“The only way we can overcome ignorance is education,” he stresses.

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Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Wed, 21 May 2025 12:09:31 GMT

How does a $650 million cattle con crash? Under the creaking weight of a mere 26 cows.

From 2017-2019, a motley trio of Ponzi scammers—Illinois cowboy, Midwest matron, and polished Georgia fixer—hoodwinked investors and burned through $140 million per month at peak mayhem. New money paid old money.

The stunning scam was a madhouse of blind wire transfers, bogus promissory notes, hearty handshakes, and monopoly money. Three prison sentences later, questions linger over who was behind the curtain and where the booty is buried.

Helluva Tale
Built like a brick house and every inch the central Texas cattleman, plain-talking Roye Stephens was not a man to burn. In September 2017, Stephens dialed Marvin Wills and reported the theft of 26 cows.

Special Ranger Wills , long-time veteran of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association , listened as Stephens dropped a “helluva tale,” centered on the escapades of sketchy businessman touting interests in show cattle and legal marijuana: Mark David Ray.

Roye Stephens, the Texas rancher who put the spotlight on Mark Ray.

(Photo by Facebook)

“At first, I thought Roye Stephens was just talking about Mark Ray doing something local, but I could tell something was off—way different than most anything I’d ever heard at the ground level,” Wills says. “Stephens was describing what would become one of the biggest cattle scams of all time.”

“There was a history of cattle dealings between Stephens and Ray, and those dealings weren’t always fruitful, but Stephens kept going back because every deal was almost too good to be true,” Wills continues. “Ray always had a sweetener.”

Stephens paid Ray $75,000 for half-interest in 52 head of Lampasas County cattle which had been trucked to an Oklahoma feed lot. In a nutshell, the 52 cows did not exist—whether in Oklahoma, Texas, or Timbuktu. The transaction was an inventory fantasy. Stephens had been skinned—and his call for justice would be the key that picked the lock on a buck-wild $650 million shell game.

In tandem with Lampasas County detective David Thorpe, Wills began tracing Ray’s tracks across the livestock industry. “The story was wild,” Wills says. “A real cluster. Ray had investors and connections all over the place, and he’d even gone to Russia with the supposed intention to open a packing plant. He was big-time, except nobody really knew what was real and what was fake about him.”

Wills was certain: Ray was up to his neck in crime. “We knew he sold the exact same number of cattle at the exact same weight to packing plants. Impossible. Week to week on the rail with precisely the same numbers? No way.”

In March 2018, after robbing Stephens, Ray was indicted in Lampasas County for “false statement to obtain property” and “theft by deception.” Specifically, the indictment included a damning text sent by Ray, asking Stephens to pay “for cows with calves on them with eggs put in but of course no confirmed. Cows are at Pawhuska Oklahoma. $2,265 per pair plus freight 52 pair.”

A plea? Settlement? Slap on the wrist? Fine?

Rather, an explosion. Ray, 57, arrived for his bond hearing in Lampasas County by flying in on a luxury Beechcraft King Air—over 26 cattle in rural Texas.

“He showed up in a million-dollar airplane,” Wills recalls. “Basically, he may as well have set off a bomb. That’s when we absolutely knew this was much deeper than a handful of cattle. Who was this guy? Who?”

In short time, Wills and Thorpe were seated in an Austin FBI office, spilling their giant cup of tea.

“We started this, and the feds ended it,” Wills exclaims. “To this day, it boggles my mind. The money; the marijuana; the cattle. Still doesn’t all add up.”

Hometown Dust
The man grew money.

Mark David Ray, at least as far back as the early 2000s, wrangled golden cattle deals. A son of Knox County, in west-central Illinois, he loved flash and the fibrous feel of a thick knot of crisp bills.

“We started this, and the feds ended it,” says Special Ranger Marvin Wills. “To this day, it boggles my mind.”

(Photo by TSCRA)

His scheme? Ray, as president of Berwick Black Cattle Company and director of Source of Champions, offered bang-bang cattle investments with promises of pronto payback plus high interest—sometimes 25% in months.

Operating out of Abingdon, Ill., things were rosy out of the gate. On Jan. 13, 2002, according to a subsequent Illinois State Securities Department investigation, Ray sold a $150,000 “investment contract” to an Illinois cattleman, and 14 days later paid back the $150,000, plus $3,000. On Nov. 7, he sold another “investment contract” for $122,500 and paid back the principal, along with an extra $5,000.17, 21 days later.

A blitz of similar transactions and bigger returns followed, stretching until 2005, when the wheels came off and the investor payments stopped boomeranging. In a nutshell, Ray got pinched and was barred from doing business: “The Respondents (Ray) shall be permanently prohibited from offering and selling securities in the State of Illinois.”

No matter. Ray, an investment prophet, shook off the hometown dust and made tracks for the West.

With no criminal charges filed in Illinois, the Berwick Black Ponzi was a learning lesson. The next go-around, Ray swung for the fences.

Make It Rain
He talked the talk. He played and preyed. He wore boots and jeans.

“Mark Ray knew how to use his background in agriculture and gain trust,” says Joshua Mayes, former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) senior trial counsel, Enforcement Division, who spearheaded a subsequent investigation uncovering Ray’s scam. “He would go to cattle shows, compete for awards, and rub shoulders with people who thought he was legit. Salt-of-the-earth farmers, ranchers, business people, and average joes—he fooled them all with a handshake.”

Ray claimed to have mastered the cattle flip, fattening cows in feed lots for crazy money: Give me $500,000 today. I’ll give you $600,000 in eight weeks.

“He was so good at speaking the lingo and moving fast,” Mayes continues. “Literally, within months of meeting people, he’d have them wiring him hundreds of thousands of dollars without so much as a napkin scrawl promising payback—sometimes with no financial statements, no deal transaction firm, and no proof. Just his word.”

Based in Denver, Colo., Ray put a foot in both agriculture and legal marijuana, founding three companies: Custom Consulting, Universal Herbs and MR Cattle. To bolster his phenomenal sleight-of-hand skills, he needed team players: Someone to haul in whales and another to grease the financial skids. Enter old friends Ron Throgmartin and Reva Stachniw.

Throgmartin, living in Buford, Ga., was CEO of Diego Pellicer, a legal marijuana business. He had been in the trenches during Ray’s Illinois cattle Ponzi. Throgmartin became Ray’s general consultant and appeared the part, presenting a credible business front.

Stachniw, who looked like a cross between a PTA grandmother and Sunday school teacher, was an Illinois crony from Knox County. A retired nurse, she knew the cattle industry and was owner and manager of RM Farm and Sunshine Enterprises.

Ray, Throgmartin, and Stachniw steered investors toward high-speed returns on cattle flips, straight business loans, and marijuana investments, typically in the 10-20% range.

What a threesome. They made it rain—as in, $140 million per month at the height of the scam.

“People With Money”
How did the money machine work?

First, Ray’s engine required prodigious amounts of fuel—a tall order considering he essentially had no cattle. Like a Ponzi politician, Ray needed to raise massive amounts of money, steadily sucking in new investors to pay off old investors.

Ron Throgmartin served as Ray’s business face, keeping track of major investors and drafting emails, texts, and promissory notes to bolster the scheme.

(Photo by Facebook)

“He had to constantly make deals,” Mayes describes. “The whole train stops if he doesn’t consistently fool new victims. Once he got rolling and got his victims comfortable, he convinced some to let their investments ride: ‘Right now I owe you 124,000, but I have another deal coming up, and you can make it $150,000 if you give me another 3 months.’”

Throgmartin served as Ray’s legitimate business face, keeping track of major investors and drafting emails, texts, and promissory notes to boost the scheme.

Stachniw handled the bank accounts. She ensured Ray avoided bank detection by keeping his name out of transactions. She maintained accounts in the names of RM Farm and Sunshine Enterprises, signed promissory notes, signed stacks of blank checks for use by Ray as needed, and transferred tens of millions as requested by Ray.

According to federal prosecutors, Stachniw “advised Ray and Throgmartin, generally via text message, telephone call, or email, on a near-daily basis, how much money the co-conspirators needed to raise from victim-investors to avoid overdrawing the various bank accounts the co-conspirators used, and exposing the scheme. At times, Stachniw expressed surprise that Ray was able to find victim-investors willing to continue to invest, for example, writing to Ray on or about August 7, 2018, “I can’t believe you are able to find people with money.”

As the Ponzi pyramid climbed, investors unknowingly were wiring other investors. Literally, victim to victim per Ray’s lies. From the SEC report: Ray would instruct Victim A to wire funds to Victim B, telling Victim A that the funds were for the purchase of cattle from Victim B. Ray would tell Victim B, however, that the funds received from Victim A were payment for another cattle trade in which Victim B had previously invested.

“The investors were lulled to sleep,” Mayes explains. “One ranch gets a wire transfer from a second ranch in another state. The first rancher with the incoming money makes an assumption: The money must have come from a cattle deal.”

From late 2017 and continuing through in or around early 2019, Ray, Throgmartin, and Stachniw raised approximately $650 million from victim-investors.

Translated: The Big 3 tapped hundreds of investors for two-thirds of a billion dollars in a mere 17 months.

Lifesavings, Gone
As Ponzi structures reach skyward, they inevitably creak and collapse. No different with Ray’s Jenga tower.

Reva Stachniw, a retired nurse, knew the cattle industry and was owner and manager of RM Farm and Sunshine Enterprises.

(Photo by Facebook)

Ray had too many irons in the fire. When Roye Stephens called the law over stolen Lampasas County cattle, what first appeared as a tiny fissure turned into a gaping hole of access for the SEC and federal prosecutors. The SEC filed against Ray, Stachniw, and Throgmartin on Sept. 30, 2019. Federal prosecutors filed an indictment against Ray on Feb 20, 2020, and against Stachniw and Throgmartin On April 22, 2021.

“When we busted them,” Mayes says, “they were moving over $100 million per month, but that’s far from what sticks in my mind. I just remember the victims. At first, the victims didn’t believe it was all a scam. Then their disbelief changed to panic. Lifesavings, gone.”

“When the public thinks of Ponzis, they think of Bernie Madoff and his sophisticated victims. Therefore, the public thinks of a Ponzi as stealing from the rich. That’s not true most of the time, and by no means in this case. These were mainly middle-class victims in agriculture that worked for a lifetime to make a nest egg to invest. Just normal people lured by a high return. And they wind up on the brink of suicide because a good day, maybe the best day, is getting back 25 cents on the dollar.”

Pulling Levers?
Ray took a plea deal and admitted to bank fraud and wire fraud, throwing Throgmartin and Stachniw under the bus, agreeing to testify against both. Throgmartin and Stachniw claimed innocence as victims of Ray’s duplicity. They were found guilty in a jury trial in 2022.

The trio was sentenced in 2023. Ray, 50 months and $23,374,664 in restitution. Stachniw, 72 months, $14,597,335 in restitution and forfeiture of $6,013,370. Throgmartin, 72 months, $14,597,335 in restitution and forfeiture of $1,004,904. The mastermind, Ray, got the least amount of prison time.

“Stachniw and Throgmartin were convicted of being knowing participants,” Mayes says. “Their defense was, ‘We didn’t know it was a Ponzi. We didn’t know what Mark Ray was truly doing.’ The evidence says otherwise.”

(For more on Throgmartin’s defense and his claims about Ray, see his May 2023 YouTube interview.)

What was Ray’s long-term plan? What was next if the scheme hadn’t crashed?

“I don’t think he had a plan at all,” Mayes contends. “I think he just compartmentalized in the moment and kept going. I also suspect he believed that if things got bad, he could just declare bankruptcy, ride it out, and face no charges. It certainly worked the first time in Illinois.”

Sticky-fingered Mark David Ray used new money to pay old money in a $650M heist.

(Photo by Facebook)

And where did the money go? The feds tracked a portion: “Despite putting little to none of their own money into the scheme, the co-conspirators transferred substantial amounts of the proceeds of their conspiracy and scheme to themselves for their personal benefit. For example, between in or around 2017 and in or around 2018 alone, Stachniw transferred approximately $9,000,000 traceable to victim-investors to her personal investment accounts, including approximately $1,000,000 in or around August 2018. Throgmartin received more than approximately $3,000,000 over the course of the conspiracy, including at least approximately $800,000 from Stachniw in or around August 2018.”

But what of Ray’s loot? Was it laundered, flipped into the marijuana business, buried in a hole? Was there another figure behind Ray pulling levers?

“He was playing the high life with jets and travel, and there were reports of gambling, and he had to pump lots into the lower parts of the pyramid,” Mayes concludes, “but where the rest of the money really went is unclear to this day.”

While Ray robbed Peter to pay Paul, there was a mountain of cash left over. The SEC report still echoes: Tens of millions of dollars’ worth of investor money is missing and unaccounted for.

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

How a Nazi-Fighting Oklahoman Rejected NFL Draft and Went Home to Farm

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

Tractor Terrorist: How a Forgotten Farmer Attacked Washington with Fertilizer Bombs

Farmer Unearths Lost Treasure, Solves WW2 Mystery

How The Deep State Tried, And Failed, To Crush An American Farmer

Organic Implosion: How Two Grifters Cooked $50M In Fake Fertilizer and Rocked Agriculture

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

Trump Announces Win for Beef and Ethanol Trade With UK

Thu, 08 May 2025 21:07:23 GMT

On Thursday, President Donald Trump and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a historic trade deal, providing American companies unprecedented access to the UK markets while bolstering U.S. national security.

“The deal includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially in agriculture, dramatically increasing access for American beef, ethanol and virtually all of the products produced by our great farmers,” Trump explains.

With the agreement, the UK will reduce or eliminate numerous non-tariff barriers that unfairly discriminate against American products.

This trade deal will significantly expand U.S. market access in the UK, creating a $5 billion opportunity for new exports for U.S. farmers, ranchers and producers. This includes more than $700 million in ethanol exports and $250 million in other agricultural products, such as beef.

.@POTUS’ historic deal with the UK is a HUGE WIN for American farmers & ranchers. 🚜🇺🇸

Here in the United States, we produce the SAFEST and most ABUNDANT food supply in the world! 🌍 This deal puts our great American Agricultural Producers FIRST! 💪 pic.twitter.com/XSMZnwxV3s
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 8, 2025

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins was at the press conference and shared how important the deal is and what it means to American farmers and ranchers.

“This is going to exponentially increase our beef exports,” she says. “And to be very clear, American beef is the safest, the best quality, and the crown jewel of American agriculture for the world.”

According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), last year the U.S. exported a little under 2,000 mt of beef to the UK (1,970 mt, to be exact), valued at about $32 million.

“Since Brexit, U.S. beef has not had any duty-free access to the UK,” explains Joe Schuele, USMEF senior vice president of communications. “All U.S. beef exported to the U.K. is currently subject to a 12% tariff, plus an additional duty of about 2.5 British pounds per kilogram.”

USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom says USMEF is excited about the potential due to the agreement.

“From a tariff standpoint, the fact that they would be creating a zero-duty country specific spot for U.S. beef in the UK, this is definitely encouraging,” he says. “That being said, there’s still work to be done from our viewpoint, because there’s quite a few issues around non-tariff trade barriers that concern us into the EU and to the UK around market access and restrictions approvals.”

These include hormone usage, residues and restrictions around beef carcass acid rinses.

“So while we’re optimistic, we hope that these other non-tariff issues are taken into account as well,” Halstrom says.

When Trump was asked by a British reporter if he expects the UK to accept all American beef and chicken products, Trump responded with reference to the work being lead by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Bobby Kennedy is doing a tremendous job,” Trump explains. “He’s heading toward your system with no chemical, no this, no that.”

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released its support of Trump’s agreement and the market access it provides beef.

“With this trade deal, President Trump has delivered a tremendous win for American family farmers and ranchers,” says NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman. “For years, American cattle producers have seen the United Kingdom as an ideal partner for trade. Between our countries’ shared history, culture and their desire for high-quality American beef, securing a trade agreement is a natural step forward. Thank you President Trump for fighting for American cattle producers.”

🚨 The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association @BeefUSA releases a statement praising the trade deal with the UK:

“Thank you President Trump for fighting for America’s cattle producers.” pic.twitter.com/iJcE2YBCL5
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 8, 2025

In a release , NCBA says it has spent years advocating for expanded trade with the UK. When the UK left the European Union in 2020, that opened the door to secure trade agreements with countries like the U.S. British and American cattle producers share similar values, and British consumers also enjoy American beef.

NCBA members have participated in several meetings both domestically and abroad with senior British government officials to educate them on our production practices and the unique attributes of our product. NCBA also recently met with current British Ambassador Peter Mandelson.

Zero Ethanol Tariff

During the announcement, Trump officials indicated that tariffs on U.S. ethanol will be reduced to zero. According to the White House fact sheet , this covers $700 million worth of U.S. ethanol exports.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) praised the trade agreement.

“This is great news,” says Illinois farmer and NCGA President Kenneth Hartman Jr. “We applaud President Trump and his administration for brokering this deal, and we encourage them to continue to include corn, corn ethanol and corn co-products in future bilateral agreements with other countries.”

NCGA had previously asked the Trump administration for increased ethanol access in the United Kingdom. The country is currently the second largest destination for U.S. ethanol exports, taking in 244 million gallons, which is 12.7% of the total U.S. ethanol exports for 2024. Ethanol exports to the UK have steadily increased since 2021.

“I think it’s a positive,” adds Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist for StoneX Group. “Britain is not a big agricultural importer from the U.S. But what I think is significant is agriculture is included in it. And so there are some products that will benefit, but it starts the momentum going. And I look for other trade deals that come to also have agriculture. So I think that tells us more about where the Trump administration sees agriculture as playing a critical role.”

Optimistic About Possibilities for Pork

Halstrom says USMEF is excited about the potential for pork into the UK as well.

“They’re a large user of pork in the UK,” he explains. “They have large exports currently from the EU into the UK, and we know that there’s legitimate demand for U.S. pork into the UK as well as the EU.’

He admits pork has some of the same complicating factors regarding restrictions on the technical side.

“While no details are published on pork, yet, we’re hopeful pork is not only part of the agreement but the non-tarriff issues would be addressed as well,” he says.

Other Wins With U.S.-UK Trade Agreement

Other key points to the agreement, include:

It commits the countries to work together to enhance industrial and agricultural market access.
It closes loopholes and increases U.S. firms’ competitiveness in the UK’s procurement market.
It ensures streamlined customs procedures for U.S. exports.
It establishes high standard commitments in the areas of intellectual property, labor and environment.
It maximizes the competitiveness and secures the supply chain of U.S. aerospace manufacturers through preferential access to high-quality UK aerospace components.
It creates a secure supply chain for pharmaceutical products.

“The President’s trade strategy is working. We are working every day to increase American economic exceptionalism and that includes selling the bounty of American agriculture around the world,” says Secretary Rollins “I am traveling to the UK next week on my first foreign mission to meet with my counterparts and discuss the commitments of this deal. Our strong cultural and political ties between our countries have led to incredible economic prosperity. It is our goal to achieve even closer relations, and we are thankful for a deal that benefits both countries and gives American farmers, ranchers, foresters, and food processors better access to the UK market and the ability to compete for this business.”

Secretary Rollins will meet with senior UK government officials, visit facilities importing U.S. agricultural products, and hear from U.S. cooperators and UK importers on how the administration can best position U.S. agricultural products in the UK market.

Your Next Read: Rollins Says USDA Will Announce Application Process for $21 Billion in Disaster Aid Within Days

Your Veterinarian: A Critical Farm Partner for Success

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:12:00 GMT

When it comes to livestock production — whether beef, dairy or swine — a knowledgeable large-animal veterinarian is a critical resource for producers.

The veterinarian’s duties have grown through the years from emergency calls and service to now include consultation and planning to improve cattle and dairy herds as well as swine operations.

Craig Bieber of Bieber Red Angus in Leola, S.D., says working with a vet is essential to his herd’s success.

“I don’t know how people do it without a relationship with their vet,” Bieber says. “A good working relationship is so important. As producers, we can’t be on top of every animal disease or problem there is.”

Bieber says he is lucky to have a comprehensive clinic with five veterinarians near his ranch. He meets with his team of veterinarians three or four times per year to discuss health strategies.

“Our diversified livestock operation uses a team of veterinarians for the health and well-being of our cattle, swine and sheep plus our livestock guardian dogs and family pets,” says Sarah Jones of Red Hill Farms in Lafayette, Tenn.

The Jones family works with its primary veterinarian, Roger Thomas of Thomas & England Veterinary Services in Smiths Grove, Ky.

“Dr. Thomas is essential to our operation,” Jones says. “Without our team of veterinarians, we couldn’t provide the very best care for our livestock. Dr. Thomas is our first call for issues we are not comfortable treating without consultation. Our operation also uses additional veterinarians for pregnancy ultrasound, cattle embryo transfer, sheep artificial insemination, sheep embryo transfer and swine consulting.”

In an unscientific survey, Drovers asked its Facebook followers, “How important is your veterinarian to the success of your operation?”

One follower wrote, “Essential. Having our veterinarian of a little over 40 years, we have created herd health programs for pre-breeding and pre-calving, as well as vaccination programs for calves at birth and weaning. We review these programs every year.”

Another said, “Our vet from Vale Veterinary Clinic is key to the success of our program through integrated research and herd health management our vet is priceless!”

Unfortunately, a few respondents noted they don’t have a close large-animal veterinarian near them or that they must take individual animals to an equine veterinarian for consultation, affirming the need for more large animal vets.

(Farm Journal)

The evolving role of dairy veterinarians

Traditionally seen as the guardians of animal health, focused primarily on treating sick individual animals, today’s dairy veterinarians are expanding their roles.

Scott Bohnert of Bohnert Jerseys in East Moline, Ill., exemplifies the modern dairy farmer’s reliance on veterinary expertise. At his dairy, home to 700 Jersey cows and an equal number of replacements, Bohnert leans heavily on his long-time veterinarian, Ryan Schaefer of Blue Grass, Iowa. Their working partnership of more than 15 years highlights the evolving importance of veterinarians in dairy.

Schaefer collaborates closely with Bohnert, conducting routine herd health and pregnancy checks twice a month — but their relationship goes far beyond basic animal care.

With a deep understanding of the dairy industry’s challenges, Schaefer consults closely with Bohnert on various critical topics. This trusted advice plays a pivotal role in helping Bohnert and his team drive their dairy operation forward.

“Ryan and I work very well together,” Bohnert says, acknowledging how Schaefer’s insights into disease prevention, vaccine management and industry trends keep his farm thriving in a competitive market.

This collaboration reflects a broader trend in agriculture where veterinarians serve as essential consultants instead of just animal doctors. Their role extends to strategic decision-making, helping farms navigate through diverse challenges like disease outbreaks, regulatory changes and economic pressures.

Swine veterinarian’s critical role

The swine producer and veterinarian relationship is critical in managing health issues in the swine herd.

“I can’t overstate how important our farm’s relationship is with our veterinarian,” says Mike Paustian, a swine producer from Wolcott, Iowa. “We treat that relationship as one of the key parts of our team that we’ve assembled to help advise our farm.”

Paustian, who is contact with his veterinarian every week, challenges the misconception that veterinary involvement is costly.

“I don’t see how you’re going to get a bigger bang for your buck than getting a veterinarian who knows your herd, to provide input into issues you’re having,” he says.

Paustian says he also appreciates a veterinarian who approaches work with a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand things better, which aligns with his own approach to constantly seek improvement.

Ben Barcovtch, a pig farmer from Berwick, Pa., says a strong veterinarian relationship is essential to the success of his pork operation.

“They support proactive herd health, help improve productivity, strengthen biosecurity and provide expert guidance during health challenges,” Barcovtch says. “The vet practice I work with is a key partner in maintaining animal well-being and our overall profitability.”

The veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) is the basis for interaction among veterinarians, their clients and their patients, and it is critical to the health of animals.

“Our VCPR is a partnership that allows more proactive and long-term strategies instead of just responding to needs as they arise,” says Rob Brenneman, owner of Brenneman Pork in Washington, Iowa. “This allows both parties to focus on preventative care, optimized service offerings focused on system health and stability.”

Thank you

April 26 is World Veterinary Day . Observed annually on the last Saturday of April, the day aims to celebrate the contributions of veterinarians to the health of animals, people and the environment. “Animal health takes a team,” is this year’s theme and summarizes the collaboration between veterinarians and beef, dairy and swine producers.

“I believe that sincerely communicating appreciation is one of the most important things farmers and ranchers can do for their veterinarians,” says Jones of Red Hill Farms.

Veterinarians are considered trusted advisers with an integral role in the livestock industry. A recent survey released by Boehringer Ingelheim shows 94% of animal owners appreciate the work of veterinarians, compared to only 49% of veterinary professionals feeling who think the profession is appreciated.

The survey is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s “Going Beyond” campaign, which seeks to spotlight aspects of veterinary work that too often remain unseen and underrecognized.

In support of World Veterinary Day, the “Going Beyond” campaign also released a video asking animal owners to guess what type of professional meets the description of a range of compelling job responsibilities and characteristics.

Your Next Read: Prevent Grass Tetany with These Essential Management Tips

Connecting Cattle Producers and Beef Wholesalers Through Supply Chain Management

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:59:55 GMT

For producers or groups of producers wanting to sell directly into wholesale beef channels, three big issues have created challenges to the marketplace: scale, balancing the carcass and logistics.

“If you have a steakhouse that has to buy hundreds of ribeyes every single week, it’s probably pretty hard to find many producers who are going to be able to fulfill that procurement spec weekly,” says Farmshare CEO Henry Arrowood. “No. 2 is balancing of the carcass — you might find a restaurant that wants to buy all your primes, but what are you doing with the rest of that carcass? And No. 3 is the logistics — how do I actually get the animal to the processing facility, secure a slot, secure the cut order, then get that product out into the hands of the buyer? That is exactly what our platform does.”

Arrowood shared on a recent AgriTalk episode about how the system provides a way for wholesale buyers to connect with smaller producers who can offer local, differentiated and value-added products.

“If a set of producers match the parameters of what the bid of the buy side is looking for, we start to show them these opportunities that they can participate in,” Arrowood says. “We show them the price point at which the customer is looking to purchase. We show them the target product and volume that they’re looking for, and then we aggregate that supply into an order and route it to one of our processing facilities for manufacturing.”

Finding a market for the entire carcass has remained a challenge to the smaller, regional producers who want to sell meat. Until now.

“Big packers have become these efficiency machines where they’ve been able to create all these different market opportunities to balance the carcass and create, good returns across the entire animal. That doesn’t exist on a small scale,” Arrowood says. “It’s really hard for any given producer to go out and create similar opportunities for the entirety of their carcass. That is what we’re doing.”

By using artificial intelligence, Arrowood says the company creates pricing models and yield distribution models to price optimize the entire animal for the end producer. If one buyer claims the ribeyes, the system figures out additional buyers for the strips, tenderloins, ground beef, etc., he says.

“It’s our responsibility to create a diversified set of customers on the buy side that we can move this product to, school systems, hospitals, really good targets for us in terms of moving that ground product,” Arrowood explains. “There’s a lot of restaurant groups that are looking for a different product than they might be able to get through the institutional food service companies. So, that’s where we’re moving some of that prime product.”

The idea for Farmshare came to Arrowood when he experienced the challenges in the beef supply chain firsthand.

“During the pandemic, I left San Francisco and moved out to a cattle ranch in Montana, and that’s where I am right now. And it didn’t take me long, when I got to this seventh-generation cow-calf operation, to realize there were some pretty deep inefficiencies in the supply chain and that of every dollar that I or any other city slicker was spending on meat in the grocery store, only 14 cents was making its way back to a producer’s pocket.”

As a tech pro, Arrowood began imagining what could be done to create more streamlined distribution that would give fair financials back to the end producer and help independent processors.

“I think that technology serves a very unique and interesting opportunity to rethink the way in which meat travels throughout the value chain, and the money that ultimately gets back into the hands the people who do the work,” Arrowood says.

Farmshare works with processors in more than 25 states across the country and is ready to expand its reach.

“We like to think of ourselves as bringing modern tooling to the independent processor,” Arrowood says. “For maybe the first time, we’ve built a set of tools for the independent processor that help to increase efficiency and maximize the throughput of their plant and ultimately drive them towards doing greater capacity within their facility.”

By automating and streamlining several manual processes and complexities that exist for processors today, Arrowood says the system can mitigate the amount of phone calls, paper pushing and filing that an independent locker has to go through in order to successfully manage their business.

“Our customers are saving five to seven hours per day on all the administrative sort of burden and complexity of their business,” he says.

He says packers have a lot of efficiencies, technology and staff to help them future proof their businesses.

“What we’re doing is building that as a shared resource and shared set of infrastructures that we can then sort of co-op out into the ecosystem for the independent processor,” Arrowood says.

This management system creates opportunities for efficiency throughout the supply chain while keeping the marketing between the buyer and the seller. Within the Farmshare system, the animal does not change ownership to the processor and the restaurant connects directly with a group of independent processors.

“We’re facilitating the transaction between those two parties,” Arrowood says. “We’ve used this network of independent processors as the manufacturing layer to actually turn that animal into a consumable product.”

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What a Government Shutdown Would Mean for Upcoming USDA Reports

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 19:08:29 GMT

Lawmakers were working Friday to to keep the government funded past the Dec. 20 midnight ET lapse of the current funding measure.

Reports signaled the House will vote on three bills: a continuing resolution until March; a disaster relief package, including economic aid for farmers; and an extension of the farm bill.

If the funding measure fails, USDA has a contingency plan in place for essential workers and services. The plan would retain a small number of administrative employees to oversee activities including disaster response and cybersecurity should funding lapse.

Impacts on Upcoming USDA Reports

We asked Lance Honig, Director of Methodology Division and Chair of the Agricultural Statistics Board at USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), what impact a potential shutdown would have on upcoming USDA reports.

“For all of our end-of-season crop and December stocks data, we are finished collecting the data, so the only issue would be with timing,” Honig told Farm Journal. “In other words, we have all of the data we need to work with, just need time to analyze & compile it. So if there were a shutdown, it would just depend on how long it was in determining when the reports could be published (if any delay were necessary). So not a question of if we could publish, just maybe when.”

Honig says the Hogs & Pigs report is scheduled to publish January, so that is another report that will hinge on timing.

“The one I would be watching more closely is the January Cattle report. We will collect that data in January, so IF we were shut down then, it gets a little more complicated. Not saying we couldn’t do it — just that the overall timeline/process would have to be re-worked,” said Honig.

Economists React

Economists began detailing the fallout of a potential shutdown. GDP growth would fall by 0.15 percentage points “for each week it lasted,” Alec Phillips, an economist for Goldman Sachs, wrote this week in a client note. The disruption shouldn’t hinder the federal government’s ability to borrow in the near term, he added.

Tyson Foods Tops Quarterly Estimates as Demand Rebounds, Costs Begin to Fall

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 13:43:59 GMT

Tyson Foods surpassed Wall Street expectations for third-quarter revenue and profit on Monday, indicating that demand was rebounding for its meat products, while lower grain prices reduced costs for animal feed.

After sales declined in 2023, Tyson Foods is now starting to see some of its customers return to stores to purchase its products as higher costs of dining out push people to cook more meals at home.

The U.S. meat packer’s net sales rose 1.6% to $13.35 billion in the quarter, compared with analysts’ estimates of $13.24 billion. It continues to expect full-year revenue to be flat compared to fiscal 2023.

The company’s beef segment - its largest - saw volumes up 4.4%, building on the last quarter’s growth of 2.8% that was driven by higher average carcass weights. Prices in the segment also rose to 1.4% as it continued to grapple with limited cattle supply.

Still, sales in Tyson’s chicken segment - which struggled with an excess of supply during 2023 - were down 3.2% in the quarter, while prices also dropped 3.7%.

Previously, Tyson said it had lowered production to align its supplies with consumer demand.

Similarly, while its pork segment reported a 10.4% rise in quarterly sales, its volumes increased only by 1.2% that were sequentially lower than 2.9% seen in the second quarter, when the company saw more hog supplies.

Meanwhile, Tyson Foods has also undertaken a vigorous cost-control plan under which it has sold off a poultry facility, shuttered six U.S. chicken plants, said it would close a pork plant and had cut jobs to grow profit margins.

Lower grain prices and raw material expenses have helped Tyson Foods post adjusted earnings of 87 cents per share, topping estimates of 65 cents.

(Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru and Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Maju Samuel)
Tyson Foods tops quarterly estimates as demand rebounds, costs begin to fall