The average November retail price for beef was $10.08 per pound. A 1,400 pound finished animal will produce around 42% retail cuts, or around 588 pounds of retail beef, not including offal. 588 pounds at $10.08 equals $5,927 per head. The big box retailer is making 43.8% or $2,596 per head, while the cattle producer who invests by far the most, along with taking nearly all the risk, gets 50%, down from 80% in 1970. It’s clear why we’ve lost half our ranchers and liquidated 10 million cows.
John, Coy, and Bill tell the story of today’s producer share of the monopolized meat industry. Only Congress can fix this threat to our food and national security.
The big feeders are also the problem