What in the Sweet Baby Jesus is going on? Meat prices.

[bmudd14474]

Looking at the "Sale" ads and am seeing ribeye $20.99/lb Sirloin $12.99/lb. Have i been in a cave or is everyone seeing these rates

 

[clifish]

London broil that used to go on sale for $2.99 not that long ago was $12.99 last week. Best deal I found was thick chuck steaks for $5.99....not going to be eating out much with these prices.

 

[normanaj]

I live in RI and beef has always been expensive here for a very long time but admittedly not as expensive as that.I'm also about a 1 minute drive from the Mass border where the prices are slightly cheaper but with the shear amount of different stores to shop I can generally find a place that has some cut of beef on sale that is worthy of buying,but not always.

Meat in our house these days is mostly chicken and pork but I try to have beef once a week so when I do find a really good sale I'll stock up on whatever cut it is.

 

[clifish]

I live in RI and beef has always been expensive here for a very long time but admittedly not as expensive as that.I'm also about a 1 minute drive from the Mass border where the prices are slightly cheaper but with the shear amount of different stores to shop I can generally find a place that has some cut of beef on sale that is worthy of buying,but not always.

Meat in our house these days is mostly chicken and pork but I try to have beef once a week so when I do find a really good sale I'll stock up on whatever cut it is.

can't believe anything is Mass is cheaper

 

[Up_In_Smoke]

Sw Ohio Kroger and Walmart just now:

Boneless stew beef - Kroger $10.99 Walmart $9.96
Boneless ribeye - Kroger $19.99 Walmart $18.97
Choice chuck roast - Kroger $8.99 Walmart - $8.47

 

[dr rat]

Going up out here at Costco tri-tip 13.99, ribeye 17.99, ribeye prime 26.99, chuck roast 8.49, New York 13.99 and prime 20.99. Been doing more pork and chicken.
Sams club wanted 8.49 for corn beef

 

[normanaj]

can't believe anything is Mass is cheaper

Cheap is a relative term but everything in RI has always been more expensive than Mass.There's some smaller markets in Fall River where if you pay attention you can actually get some decent deals on occasion.

 

[indaswamp]

I don't follow beef prices as close as I do pork. sale price on pork has jumped $0.30 since COVID....from $0.99 to $1.29....

 

[sandyut]

Looking at the "Sale" ads and am seeing ribeye $20.99/lb Sirloin $12.99/lb. Have i been in a cave or is everyone seeing these rates

Its pretty bad all over. I only buy meat at Costco now. Save as much $$ as possible. Kroger is way more expensive.

 

[indaswamp]

Whole sirloin is on sale here $8.88/#....sold whole.....

 

[sawhorseray]

I HAVE A 22LB STANDING RIB ROAST IN THE FREEZER I BOUGHT AT LAST YEARS XMAS SALES FOR $4.75LB, COUPLE OF EIGHT POUNDERS TOO. USED TO GRIND TRITIP FOR BURGERS WHEN IT WAS $3.99LB, THOSE DAYS ARE SURELY OVER, $9.99LB THIS WEEK, I'LL TREASURE THE FEW I HAVE VAC-SEALED IN FREEZERMART. JUST LOADED UP ON WHOLE YARDBIRD FOR 99¢LB, THIGHS TOO AT THE SAME PRICE. RIBS AND BUTTS CAN STILL BE HAD AT A DECENT PRICE, LOAD UP WHILE YOU STILL CAN. THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE BETTER OFF THAN THEY WERE A YEAR AGO ARE BILLIONAIRES, IT'LL GET WORSE.

 

[Winterrider]

Price of pork is creeping up also, not quite like beef prices. Finally had a 2 day sale on pork shoulder roasts $.99/lb limit 2 , normally $2.49.
I did land 6 with help before they were out midday the first day, no more brought in.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

What is going on? In my opinion, it's market manipulation and collusion by the few huge beef producers...

 

[chef k-dude]

They are exporting tons of beef, that's why it's gone nuts, combined with small farms dropping out because they cant afford to raise the beef, even at those prices. Many of these smaller farms have been gobbled up by the corporations...who are shipping beef abroad. Apparently there is a big demand for American beef out there.

I had been out of regular ole ground beef for a while, just waiting on a sale to pounce on, I was not going to spend $6 or more a pound. Finally the Giant Food here put theirs on sale at $4.50 a pound. I just vac sealed 7 pounds. I use it for taco meat, casseroles, etc.. But I grind my own chuck for burgers because I like them pink and trust my own ground beef from one muscle. Chucks have even gone through the roof. I have 2 chuckies in the freezer for now though.

I'm actually looking at ground turkey and chicken as an alternate as well as ground pork which I make from butt. I cut the best CSR's from a butt, then chunks for skewers, then grind the rest.

Good grief, I can get cold smoked salmon for $15lb at Sam's club, cheaper than some cuts of beef! I dont usually buy meats at Sam's otherwise because if I keep my eye out, sales at the grocery stores are better. But I'm patient, I plan meals around what's in the freezer. I dont decide I want to make something and go out and shop for it usually.

 

[thirdeye]

Have i been in a cave or is everyone seeing these rates

The short answer to higher beef prices is supply and demand. The longer explanation involves Mother Nature and drought conditions, which raises the price of feed. Then biology plays a role... cows have one calf at a time, and it takes more time for steers to reach the age and weight for slaughter.

I read an article that said the US supply of beef is at it's lowest since the 1960's, and it wasn't optimistic about prices coming down any time soon. Here is what I'd like to see .

 

[Winterrider]

The short answer to higher beef prices is supply and demand. The longer explanation involves Mother Nature and drought conditions, which raises the price of feed. Then biology plays a role... cows have one calf at a time, and it takes more time for steers to reach the age and weight for slaughter.

I read an article that said the US supply of beef is at it's lowest since the 1960's, and it wasn't optimistic about prices coming down any time soon. Here is what I'd like to see .
View attachment 724234

Heck I would even take most of those meat prices with a 2 or 3 in front of them

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

I'm still trying to figure out what is happening with gas prices. Up about 30 cents in just over a week where I live.

 

[thirdeye]

I'm still trying to figure out what is happening with gas prices. Up about 30 cents in just over a week where I live.

About a week ago OPEC+ voted to increase production in October. It might not move the needle much at the pump.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Actually there could be a pretty deep discussion on the topic. In truth though it is part political policy over the last decade or so, part generational in that way fewer young people are willing to or even can get into ranching or meat production with land prices as they are, and then it’s inflation. The cost to produce feed stuff is way higher then ever before.

All of this has left the USA with the lowest beef numbers since 1951. Meanwhile the population has grown and demand is higher than its ever been. So we are very simply feeling the effects of supply and demand. Cost to produce is way up, numbers are down and demand very high. The price is forecasted to higher in the coming years on beef, pork and poultry.

All the time I hear people complain about these “magic middlemen “ or profiteers taking advantage, but it’s just not so. I live in a valley that is covered in farms and ranches, we have meat available everywhere from local producers. We also have meat processors. Let me give you the cost breakdowns buying here from any ranch down the road from me.

Rail price for beef is right at $4.00 per pound.
Processing is , $125.00 kill fee, and $1.60 pound for cut/wrap. So right there we are over $5.60 per pound, but wait there is more to the story.

Meat hangs for around 14 days. In that time it will loose around 4-5% of the rail weight that you are paying for. Then when the meat is ready to cut and wrap, the finished product looses another 40% of rail weight (bone and waste)

So we only take home about 55% of the original rail weight that we payed $5.60 a pound for. So $5.60 + 45% = $8.12 per pound. That burger and steaks, pretty expensive hamburger which is what you get the most of. Cheap steak but you had to buy a whole beef to get those.

Sticker shock, a good average rail weight on beef is #800.
So #800 x $8.12 = $6496 in your freezer. Ain’t nothing cheap anymore.

 

[Elf@shore]

Actually there could be a pretty deep discussion on the topic. In truth though it is part political policy over the last decade or so, part generational in that way fewer young people are willing to or even can get into ranching or meat production with land prices as they are, and then it’s inflation. The cost to produce feed stuff is way higher then ever before.

All of this has left the USA with the lowest beef numbers since 1951. Meanwhile the population has grown and demand is higher than its ever been. So we are very simply feeling the effects of supply and demand. Cost to produce is way up, numbers are down and demand very high. The price is forecasted to higher in the coming years on beef, pork and poultry.

All the time I hear people complain about these “magic middlemen “ or profiteers taking advantage, but it’s just not so. I live in a valley that is covered in farms and ranches, we have meat available everywhere from local producers. We also have meat processors. Let me give you the cost breakdowns buying here from any ranch down the road from me.

Rail price for beef is right at $4.00 per pound.
Processing is , $125.00 kill fee, and $1.60 pound for cut/wrap. So right there we are over $5.60 per pound, but wait there is more to the story.

Meat hangs for around 14 days. In that time it will loose around 4-5% of the rail weight that you are paying for. Then when the meat is ready to cut and wrap, the finished product looses another 40% of rail weight (bone and waste)

So we only take home about 55% of the original rail weight that we payed $5.60 a pound for. So $5.60 + 45% = $8.12 per pound. That burger and steaks, pretty expensive hamburger which is what you get the most of. Cheap steak but you had to buy a whole beef to get those.

Sticker shock, a good average rail weight on beef is #800.
So #800 x $8.12 = $6496 in your freezer. Ain’t nothing cheap anymore.

Rewind Meat Costs :
Mr Farmer had to pay higher costs to raise his cattle.
Go Back a year ago .
Feed and supplies, Gas to operate the farm, Climate changes in some parts hindered conditions ect.
SO? Prices start to climb and the demand slows down.
I ran a Little Debbie Rte, remembering operating cost rose.
Gas was $80 to fill my truck rose to $130 +
My costs for storage rose.
The costs of my CAKE rose , along with the retail prices.
75c became > $1.25
2/ $3 > 3/$5. $1.99
Who took the Hit ?! I DID!
Volume dropped and so did my weekly earning !
Manufactures also over produced and were hung with out dated products ! Due to the slow down.
It got to the point that I was pulling out of dates , more then making $, Just to cover my expenses.
It was not FUN!?
Its a little more then saying prices rise!
Been there done that !
Sold Snacks/Cake for over 30 yrs.
its not the same and I doubt it will ever be sadly to say