It’s an American classic, and it’s getting more expensive: beef. Prices are up on ground beef and most steak cuts across the board.
“I’ve never seen prices this high in my life, and I’ve been here 40 years,” said Kim Nygard, who owns Mountlake Terrace butcher shop Double DD Meats.
The Cattleman’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have tracked prices over time. A wholesale ribeye (choice grade, lip-on, bone-in) went from $9.61 last year to $10.11 this year. Flank steak (boneless, choice grade) went up from $7.38 to $8.72. Bottom sirloin flap (choice grade, boneless) went up from $7.07 to $10.38.
Part of the reason for high costs is that the U.S. beef cattle supply is at its lowest in decades.
Drought is one of the issues affecting inventory.
“When there’s a lack of rain, there’s a lack of grass, and that puts cattle producers in a decision-making proposition,” said Jackie Madill, Executive Director of the Washington State Beef Commission. “They have to decide how many cattle and how much beef can they raise off the grass that’s growing.”
Madill said experts expect this year will be the lowest point of inventory, with the hope that cattle farmers can rebuild their herds over the next few years. It doesn’t mean prices will fall immediately, though.
“It takes nine months to grow a baby, and then it takes approximately two years for that for that calf to reach full growth and then be translated into beef,” Madill said. “It’s a really long stretch of time.”
Despite high prices, the American Farm Bureau reports that demand for beef in the United States has remained high.
“I’m still going to buy it no matter what,” said Ken Bettys, buying meat at Double DD Meats. “I like meat!”
Despite rising costs on ground beef, you can expect your Fourth of July holiday cookout to be cheaper this year, according to the American Farm Bureau. That’s thanks to lower prices on pork chops, hamburger buns, and chips. However, prices on potato salad, canned pork, and beans are up.
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