The U.S. cattle population has plummeted to its lowest level in decades, raising concerns among ranchers about the fate of the U.S. beef industry.
“This is a bad situation for American livestock farmers and America, because we’re producing 1 billion less pounds of beef in this country than just a year ago,” said John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association. “This is because we are Thursday is “Fox & Friends First.”
“We are not investing in America’s beef and cattle farmers, and Biden’s policies are hurting American cattle farmers like me. We should make sure we have the tools we need to maintain it.”
The national beef cattle inventory fell to 28.2 million head this year, the lowest level since the 1970s and a 2% decrease from a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Total U.S. cow and calf inventories have fallen to their lowest levels since 1951.
Agricultural economists say the ongoing drought of the past three years, along with high input costs and inflation, are putting pressure on both consumers and farmers.
“Last night I was at the cattle market in my local town of Blackstone, Virginia. It was a very good market and I could see some of the stalls empty, but during this period there were no cattle. The market was full of livestock. Now there are some empty stalls there because they’re not producing beef like they used to,” Boyd said.
“I’ve been farming for 41 years, producing good, healthy beef for America, and I want to tell you that now is the time to invest in American cattle. We’re not doing that.”
Economists say demand for beef has remained strong since the coronavirus pandemic. During lockdown, people started grilling more.
Beef sold for an average of $5 a pound last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experts predict that prices will rise in the coming years.
“Americans will be paying for it at their local grocery store,” Boyd said.
“We’re already seeing so much steepness, hiking, and beef in this country. And it’s because we’re not supporting cattlemen like me…The Biden administration is paying attention. haven’t paid [to] This national crisis. This is a national crisis for American cattlemen, and this administration has turned a blind eye and turned a deaf ear to a problem that requires immediate attention. ”
FOX Business’ Kennedy Hayes contributed to this report.
