Ground beef hits record $6.12 as US cattle herd collapses, feedlot placements plunge, imports stall, and retailers scramble to hedge against volatility
Ground beef just hit $6.12 Highest price ever recorded by the USDA Up 12% year over year Up more than 50% since 2022 This isn’t a seasonal spike It’s systemic US cattle inventory has collapsed 94.2 million head as of July 1 Lowest mid-year count since 1973 June feedlot placements: 1.44 million Lowest since 2017 …