Cattle Prices Rise as Beef Costs Hit Record Highs

Brady Zuck operates a cattle farm in Ladysmith with about 220 commercial cows. He said zuck Cattle Co. raises most of its cattle from birth but also buys some from local producers.

A few years ago, Zuck said he was able to purchase a set of weaned calves from someone in southern Wisconsin for about $1.86 per pound. Today,Zuck said those same calves would sell for more than $4 per pound. He said a day-old beef-on-dairy cross calf could be worth between $1,000 to $1,500.

Zuck said the strong cattle prices have allowed farmers to “earn a profit” on their animals,as they also contend with rising costs for equipment and other inputs.

“Good prices come and you definitely enjoy them while you’re here,” he said. “But you also make sure you manage your business accordingly because they don’t last forever and they will recede at some point.”

But those high cattle prices come as shoppers see record high prices for beef in the grocery store. In July, the average price consumers pay for any cut of fresh beef hit a record high of $8.90 per pound, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Ground beef prices were up 11.5 percent in July compared to the same month last year, while beef steaks were up 12.4 percent, according to the latest federal consumer price index report.

At the same time, the nation’s beef cattle herd is the smallest it’s been since 1973, when the Department of Agriculture began keeping records. But it’s likely smaller than it’s been since the 1950s, said Jeff Swenson, livestock and meat specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Swenson said the cattle herd began to decrease toward the end of 2021 and in early 2022 when beef-producing parts of the country experienced drought, dri

Publication Date: 2025/08/27 06:24:15