Info on why beef is currently so expensive and it is gouging:
'Beef is fetching record prices and that's great for ranchers, maybe not so great for burger lovers. The culprit pushing prices up? Supply and demand. The supply of cows is low. So low, Zumstein says it can actually be hard to source cattle for the auctions. "I have so many guys right now that are looking to buy cows," he said. "And this year, I can't find cows for these guys."
The number of beef cattle in the US is the lowest it's been in years. Part of this dates back to the pandemic, when safety issues at meat packing plants and supply chain snags meant ranchers couldn't sell their cows. At the same time, the cost of the hay to feed the cattle went through the roof. "If you had a cow that came in and looked at you kind of crazy in the pen, you were getting rid of her because you couldn't afford to feed her," Zumstein said. The result: Herds got a lot smaller.
When supply chains started to normalize and demand for beef spiked, ranchers started growing their herds again, but it takes years before a cow is old enough to sell for beef, so increasing the supply of beef takes time.'
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My wife just said she's prefer to celebrate February 22nd: National Margarita Day : )