From Zero Hedge:
America’s declining cattle herd is nothing short of alarming, and some ranchers call it a “national security threat” to the nation’s food supply chain. This continues to be a major theme fueling record-high cattle prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and beef prices at the local supermarket. Elevated interest ratesand soaring input costs under the Biden-Harris regime yearshave made it increasingly difficult to maintain or rebuild herds—challenges that are expected to persist early in President Trump’s second term.
Ranchers have faced a slew of macroeconomic headwinds in maintaining or restocking their herds, as rising interest expenses on cattleand elevated input costs since 2022 have squeezed margins and eroded incentivesto rebuild. Compounding the challenge are drought conditionsand “green” degrowth climate policies, which have added further pressure on producers.
At the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Cattle Inventory report revealed that the nation’s cattle supply had fallen to a 73-year low, totaling about 86.6 million head.
At the supermarket, USDA data from the end of March showed the average price for a pound of ground beef reached yet another record high of $5.79.
Given the current cattle cycle marked by low inventory and high prices, many questions linger about when ranchers and producers will begin rebuilding the nation’s cattle herd. If more replacement stock isn’t brought online soon, the industry could face a severe supply crunch, which could drive retail prices for ground beef and other beef products significantly higher.
“The herd’s not just thinned — it’s been gutted. The lowest since 1951, and that’s not an accident. That’s a warning. Years of fake money, regulatory mischief, and globalist trade schemes have stripped the land of its stewards,” The Beef Initiative founder, Texas Slim, stated.
Slim emphasized: “We didn’t just lose cattle — we lost legacy, sovereignty, and a future for our children. Rebuilding this herd isn’t just about beef. It’s about survival. National security doesn’t start with weapons — it starts with food.”
The Beef Initiative, an agricultural think tank, advocates for a more localized, redundant, and secure food supply chain—one that delivers clean beef products to American consumers while empowering individual ranchers. The think tank’s mission stands in stark contrast to the current toxic food system, which is largely dominated by the processed food industrial complex.
WOW!
But…but…but…I was assured by a local socialist in a rancher costume that it was all because of a “cattle monopoly!”
“The goat market seems better” – meanwhile…..
