Overview
- Ground beef averaged about $6.32 per pound in September, and Omaha Steaks CEO Nate Rempe predicts $10 by late 2026 due to a 70-year low cattle herd and strong demand.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent linked rising prices to migrants bringing cattle that spread screwworm, a claim reporters note lacks evidence even as screwworm concerns led to a May suspension of Mexican cattle imports.
- Newsweek reports no confirmed screwworm cases in U.S. cattle and notes officials cite livestock trade risks, not individual migrants traveling with animals.
- The administration says it is easing some tariffs and facilitating more Argentine beef, while the DOJ reviews major meatpackers over alleged price manipulation.
- USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins disputes the $10 forecast and says a plan to open 5 million acres for grazing and reopen key cattle ports could start lowering prices by spring or summer 2026.