Ground beef prices reached a record $6.90 per pound in April and are nearly double the level from 10 years ago. Beef prices are up about 20% from a year ago, reflecting supply disruptions tied to cattle shortages. Ranchers have reduced herd sizes due to persistent droughts and high feed costs, and rebuilding cattle supply takes time because calves need about two years to have their first calf and longer to mature. Egg prices previously spiked during an H5N1 outbreak and later fell as supply increased, but beef relief may be slower. Propane prices are also rising due to the war in Iran, adding further pressure to summer cooking costs.
"One culprit is the price of ground beef, which reached a record $6.90 per pound in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That price is quickly approaching double what it was 10 years ago, and it's up almost 20% from a year ago. But beef aside, price increases stemming from the Iran war have worsened the already dim prospects for an affordable summer cookout."
"Beef prices in the US have increased by about 20% in the past year. Consumers have seen supply disruptions like this before for other grocery list essentials. For example, egg prices spiked due to an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, with a dozen large, grade A eggs reaching an all-time high of $6.23 in March 2025, per the BLS. Prices fell as the virus subsided and farmers increased their supply, dropping to $2.25 per dozen in April this year."
"Don Close, a senior animal protein analyst at the agricultural research company Terrain Ag, said factors contributing to the price spikes are "the culmination of the perfect storm." The outlook in the near future remains bleak, as it takes time for ranchers to raise cattle. A female calf needs about two years to have her first calf, and it would take even longer for that calf to mature, Stewart noted."
"Propane prices are also up due to the war in Iran Propane, like other natural gas, has seen its prices rise from the effects of t"
#food-prices #beef-and-cattle-supply #propane-and-energy-costs #iran-war-impacts #inflation-and-consumer-budgets
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