Understanding meat prices

[GroceryBoy]

What is happening in the meat markets appears to be similar to what happened over the last year and a half in the lumber markets. The price paid to the rancher by processors is up around 12% from 2020. The price charged by processors to wholesalers is up 51% from 2020. Since COVID due to consolidation we are down to 4 major beef processors in the US, JBS Foods, Tyson, Cargill, and Smithfield Foods. They appear to taking advantage of the monopoly and significantly raising their prices to wholesalers above what the producers are receiving. I have heard rumblings of this mostly from the producers who are looking for other markets to sell their products. Some ranchers have grouped together to started their own processing plants. A very expensive proposition. Simply put, our meat markets are being manipulated!

The link is a sample pricing provided by USDA-AMS Market News for the end of August.

https://lmic.info/publications/in-the-cattle-markets

[Backroadmeats]

Yup!! The farmer gets screwed.. so does the consumer..If you say you have a local butcher ask to see their kill floor.. I'd they don't have a kill floor they are a grocery store.. they buy boxed meat and mark it up..not a butcher!! I pay the farmer well above market price to get a quality animal that has been treated right!! The last cow I bought I paid 148$ over what the farmer thought it was worth. Sometimes you pay for quality..

[GroceryBoy]

Oh BTW, $12.99/lb for brisket is crazy. Those are Wagyu prices!