I saw this ad

[moniss]

for a chuck roast today. Not the fanciest store but a cut above the normal chains. "Natural Boneless Chuck Roast
$15.99|lb". Walmart is rolling along their run of the mill grade of chuck roast for around $9.00/lb.

Just for reference sake here is some cattle market news for today and please note that the prices are per hundred weight.

"December live cattle are up $2.10 at $241.92, February live cattle are up
$0.97 at $241.35 and April live cattle are up $0.62 at $240.75. There are some
bids beginning to hit the market as packers have offered $238 live in Nebraska
and $370 dressed in Nebraska. But at this time, no major sales have been
reported. Asking prices are still not established in the North but are now
listed in the South at $243 plus. Packer interest could improve later this
afternoon, but it's most likely that trade is delayed until Friday as feedlot
managers are going to try to see prices trade higher again this week."

So what you see is that a small farmer would get maybe $2.38 per lb for a live animal. Out of that he would have to pay a hauler and maybe an auction fee. Yes you have cutting loss but keep in mind that little of an animal goes to waste as the processors find any way they can to use every last hair for some sort of revenue. A lot of people making money at $15.99 per lb but it sure isn't the small farmer. Yes I know many of the small ones find ways to work more locally and do better revenue wise but I put this up so people could get an idea of the gigantic spread between the price paid to the producer versus what the package price is in the store. It is obviously growing wider and wider.

https://agnews.dtn.com/index.cfm?show=801&id=0701D22B&sort=3&cat=3

[Walleye]

1. I believe this. I worked on a fishing boat back in the 80s and the price of salmon with sky high in the retail.

But we were still getting less than a dollar a pound

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Scarcity is driving up prices. There's a bidding war. Price gouging.

They should have circuit breakers on food prices just like on stock prices. Can only move so much in a week or month.

Plus, retail supermarkets are trying to make up profits on falling volume. So the system is lying to the public.

[marble falls]

3. Why are prices so high when there are millions of pounds od beef in storage??? ...

https://www.profarmer.com/news/agriculture-news/cold-storage-report-beef-stocks-drop-much-more-average-during-february

USDA’s Cold Storage Report showed 428.1 million lbs. of beef in frozen storage at the end of February, down 27.0 million lbs. from January versus the five-year average decline of 10.6 million pounds. Beef inventories declined 9.9 million lbs. (2.3%) from February 2024 and 69.2 million lbs. (13.9%) from the five-year average.

Pork stocks totaled 423.1 million lbs., up 15.9 million lbs. from January, slightly less than the five-year average increase of 17.9 million lbs. for the month. Pork stocks declined 35.5 million lbs. (7.7%) from year-ago and 94.8 million lbs. (18.3%) from the five-year average.

Total poultry inventories stood at 1.087 billion lbs., including a February record 254.6 million lbs. of chicken breast meat. Chicken breast stocks climbed 5.8 million lbs. from January and 20.9 million lbs. from year-ago.



https://www.nationalbeefwire.com/usda-cold-storage-survey-s-importance-to-livestock-producers

Cold storage, particularly for red meat and poultry, is an important part of the protein supply chain. Meat in cold storage comes from a variety of sources and is used in both domestic and global markets. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) releases the Cold Storage survey near the 22nd of each month. As of May 31, USDA’s June survey estimates red meat in storage was 1.087 billion lbs., down only slightly from April, but 20% greater than this time last year. This Market Intel will address common questions surrounding the USDA Cold Storage survey and what the USDA Cold Storage survey means to livestock farmers and ranchers.

[kimbutgar]

4. I'm glad I am not a big beef eater anymore

I used to get stomach aches when I ate beef whenI was younger. When I stopped eating it my stomach improved. I feel sorry for those who are paying those high prices. But this is not the fault of the Democratic Party but the orange turd with his stupid tariffs.

I really think he wants to collapse the economy in this country to take over the country in a dictatorship. Everyday his edicts are getting worst and damaging to the American people.