Posted on 05/23/2014 11:22:53 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
The Department of Agriculture has warned of sticker shock facing home chefs on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the unofficial start of the U.S. summer grilling season.
The agency said conditions in California could have "large and lasting effects on U.S. fruit, vegetable, dairy and egg prices," as the most populous U.S. state struggles through what officials are calling a catastrophic drought.
The consumer price index (CPI) for U.S. beef and veal is up almost 10 percent so far in 2014, reflecting the fastest increase in retail beef prices since the end of 2003. Prices, even after adjusting for inflation, are at record highs.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
I’m sure the Food Stamp folks get increases to cover increased
food cost.
The rest of us may have to resort to Road Kill or dumpster diving.
Higher food prices is more a sign of the rise of China, weather and trade.
Wow! Thanks, federal government!
U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook (with map)
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.html
4 pack of nice 6-8oz filets @ Costco = $25, last week.
My statement about the environment within the context of any drought stands.
All our pocket change will go for beer. :-)
The answer will lie, as always in black markets, grey markets, and individuals making do in other ways.
I have a friend who raises cattle - black angus, grass-fed. Sells me a half or quarter for cost, which is about $2.30/lb. I first met my meat as a newborn calf about 18 months ago....
I was cruisin between Casper and Rawlins a few times last week. I did not know there were that many Antelope alive. In a 100 mile stretch we saw 50 to 100 per mile.
Some old news.
U.S. beef exports to China and Hong Kong have soared this year as rising incomes,...
http://www.usmef.org/news-statistics/press-releases/us-beef-exports-to-china-and-hong-kong-have-soared-this-year-as-rising-inco-13475/
Some new news.
U.S. pork, beef exports increase pace in March
USMEF | Updated: 05/07/2014
Drovers CattleNetwork
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/US-Pork-Beef-Exports-Increase-Pace-in-March-258352491.html
“The pace of U.S. beef and pork exports increased sharply in March, driven by double-digit increases to leading markets Mexico, the China/Hong Kong region and South Korea, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).”
“Much of this due to the ethanol mandate.
More grain for fuel production = less for cattle feed”
No, not correct as the cause. There have been droughts in the areas that beef cows are on. No grass to graze meant that ranchers cut their cow herds. The cows have the calves that then go into feedlots to grow to market weight.
Heifer calves are now being held back to grow into cows. That will mean more beef cattle coming; but it takes quite awhile.
There has also been a virus in pigs which has reduced the supply of market hogs by killing off baby pigs.. Pork production can recover much quicker than beef production.Pork is s good buy now.
DUH, the price went up when the summer mandated blend went in.
Yep, the greedy merchants were robbing us and the powers that be were with them.(I used to recommend that they buy a gas station)
You see we had a RINO governor of Maryland and a POTUS president at the time so,it was bad. Pelosi was on TV complaining about the greedy oil companies. Schumer was on camera in front of gas stations/
So this helped lead to a Dem (O Malley) taking over this state promising to protect us from high energy prices in his campaign and so he raised our gas taxes as with electric prices (green mandates) so both have been going up here ,
but see its OK because we have a Dem POTUS and so the same angry whining Maryland Dems here see that all is right with the world.
Profits are immoral but taxes+green mandates =purity+morality
I paid $7.69 for a pack of 4 cube steaks.
Next up: Beef industry subsidies.
Because we simply cannot have any issues to distract from the RATs’ electioneering agenda in the coming weeks...
/s
(betcha POtuS heard about beef prices on CNN...)
Feeder cattle are 193 a hundred ($1.93 per pound on the hoof). Slaughter cattle (sensitively called “live cattle” nowadays) are probably going to be much higher toward the end of the year. The only worse thing that could happen would be for prices to do down between now and fall (little later in places other than here), because the live cattle price is already $56 per hundred down from the feeder cattle price now (riskier for ranchers).
If they don’t make money, supply will be really low afterward. And then there’s the ongoing drought. Forage on the Rockies, for example, takes years to reestablish (very short hay, deep roots), and the last few years have been really dry. Lunchtime is about done here. Time to finish fixing up a gate for a neighbor (free small favor).
When I look up beef price stockyard reports I see numbers like this:
Current-Cutout Value: $159.01
And there will be weight ranges inclusive in that pricing.
Does that price at $159.01 reflect the price per 100lb. weight of the animal on the hoof?
OK, your post answered my question above. I should have read deeper into the thread.
I like antelope better than deer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.