US Beef Prices, Cattle Futures Hit 9-Month Low as Tyson Closures Expose Weak Demand
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Aug 15
US Beef Prices, Cattle Futures Hit 9-Month Low as Tyson Closures Expose Weak Demand
3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Aug 15
Summary
Wholesale beef prices and live cattle futures slid to nine-month lows after Tyson announced plant closures, extending a late-June selloff that traders now tie to softening consumer demand.
Circana data showed US beef sales volumes fell 0.3% in the 13 weeks through mid-July, versus roughly 5% growth in the same period of the prior two years, as shoppers shifted toward cheaper chicken.
Retail ground beef averaged $7.116 a pound in July, still near a record, but the 9.4% annual increase was the smallest in 17 months and suggested stores could not push prices much higher.
Supply remains tight because the US cattle herd is still near a five-decade low, so any consumer relief is likely delayed even with Mexico cattle imports resuming and processors cutting capacity.
The slowdown matters beyond ranching: beef has been a major food-inflation driver, and fast-food chains already expect milder beef inflation into late 2026 and early 2027.