Congressman Troy retreats, R-MONT., to join the ‘Morning Maria’ to discuss the price of the burning economy, high beef prices and the President’s $ 2,000 aid program with a growing income program.
Beef prices have risen to record highs, yet Americans continue to buy steaks.
Economists say that strong demand is helping prices rise and there is little sign it will pick up quickly.
Glynn Tonsor, professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, told FOX News Digital that strong consumer demand continues to weigh on Beef prices up, regardless of the switching frequency.
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“There is nothing that forces you or anyone else or anyone else when we go into a restaurant to pay more for beef. People choose,” he said.
“Consumer demand for beef is strong and, regardless of location, it has the effect of pulling down prices.”
The average price of beef in grocery stores will increase from $8.40 per pound in March to $9.18 per pound in August 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images)
According to USDA data, the average price of beef in grocery stores increased from $8.40 per pound to 500.18 per pound in August 2025, an increase of 9% during that time.
Americans are shopping more authentically, more authentically, than ever before.
By 2024, consumers will spend more than $40 billion on fresh meat, which makes up more than half of all fresh meat retailers, according to data from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
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Industry analysts say that while beef supplies are expected to suffer in 2025, prices could rise slightly higher.
Despite those pressures, economists like Tonsor say that the credibility of the American ‘cow’s loyalty remains unmatched and that large production is part of what keeps consumers available.
Cattle are shown at the Cattlemen’s Columbus Livestock Auction in Columbus, Texas, on Oct. 8, 2025. (Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle / Getty Images / Getty)
“I would argue that those strong economies benefit consumers,” Tonsor said. “The ability to operate at a lower cost per head and, ultimately, per pound gives us the ability to offer a lower price.”
But even with strong consumer feed keeping the market buoyant, ranchers are facing challenges at the other end of the Supply Chain.
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While strong demand is one reason beef stocks remain high, supply is another.
Years of drought, high feed costs and an aging population have decimated cattle across the country, leaving the US cattle supply at its lowest level in more than 70 years.
Ranch hand includes cattle at Adams Ranch Inc. in St. Lucie County, Florida, July 9, 2013. (Ty Wright/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Derrell Peel, a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, said the current crunch won’t be fixed overnight.
“The truth of the matter is that nothing can make a person change this very quickly,” said Cefe. “We are in a tight supply situation that took several years to develop, and it will take several years to get out of it.”
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He noted that there is no quick way to ease the pressure on cattle, as it takes about two years to bring animals to market and several years to rebuild herds.
At the time, the Trump Administration said it was working to lower beef prices by boosting supplies from Argentina, while laying the groundwork for a long-term plan to strengthen the US cattle industry.
