Beef prices have soared to record highs in 2026 even as farmers and ranchers are struggling more than ever to make ends meet. The culprit is an oligopoly in the meat packing industry and shady foreign players manipulating the market – and it is long past time that Congress did something about it.
If you’ve spent any time in the meat aisle at the grocery store recently, you’ve probably thought twice before tossing that package ground beef in the cart. While the price of other staples like eggs and milk have come down, the nationwide average cost of a pound of ground beef soared to an all-time high of $6.70 in March. That’s a 16 percent increase from a year ago, and a nearly 70 percent increase from 2021, when it averaged just $3.96 a pound.
Even worse, there’s no relief in sight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that beef prices will climb between 10 and 18 percent higher still in 2026.
Most of the coverage of this beef price shock blames America’s historically small beef herd, rising feed costs, and higher transportation costs as a result of climbing fuel prices. But the biggest piece of the puzzle may be the market dominance of the “big four” meatpacking companies – two of which aren’t even American.
An astonishing 85 percent of the U.S. beef market is controlled by just four firms – Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef. As recently as 1980, these four companies controlled just 36 percent of the market. Today, they act like a cartel, setting prices and squeezing profits from farmers and ranchers.
Two of those companies, JBS and National Beef, are owned by Brazilian firms. U.S. beef imports from Brazil hit a record 197 million pounds in January 2025, up from just seven million pounds in January 2020.
What’s even more troubling is that in many cases, Americans don’t even know where their beef is coming from. Congress repealed country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef and pork in 2015, meaning meat processed in the United States can be labeled as a domestic product even if it originated overseas. At a time when foreign-owned firms dominate the supply chain, that lack of transparency should alarm consumers.
There are good reasons for concern. Brazilian meat companies have been linked to a long list of scandals involving food safety violations, corruption, environmental destruction, and even forced labor. In the notorious “weak flesh” scandal in 2017, companies bribed inspectors to approve rotten meat that had been treated with chemicals to mask spoilage. More recently, JBS agreed to pay $4 million to settle allegations related to child labor violations in its U.S. operations. These are serious breaches of trust in a system that Americans rely on to feed their families.
Meanwhile, mounting evidence suggests that the big four packers are exploiting their dominance at the expense of ranchers and consumers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, retail beef prices surged to record levels even as prices paid to cattle producers stagnated or declined. The gap between what consumers paid and what ranchers received – the so-called “packer margin” – exploded to historic highs. In a truly competitive market, that kind of divergence shouldn’t persist.
The courts are now being asked to weigh in. Last year, McDonald’s reached a settlement with Cargill after suing all four major packers for allegedly conspiring to fix beef prices in violation of federal antitrust law. The case is still ongoing against the other three firms. While no final judgment has been reached, the fact that these cases have advanced and in some instances resulted in settlements underscores that there is reason to suspect unlawful coordinated behavior.
In short, the beef packing industry – and the meatpacking industry in general – is defined by a highly concentrated market, parallel pricing behavior, massive and sustained margins, and repeated legal challenges alleging collusion.
This isn’t capitalism or the free market – it’s crony corporatism. A handful of massive firms, some with foreign ownership, dominate the market, operate with limited transparency, and use their scale to squeeze both producers and consumers. Ranchers are paid less for their cattle, families pay more at the grocery store, and the middlemen walk away with record profits.
To his credit, President Donald Trump has already begun to take action. Last November, he directed the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into potential collusion, price fixing, and market manipulation among the largest meatpacking companies. In December, he signed an executive order aimed at addressing security risks from anti-competitive behavior in the food supply chain. Those are important first steps, but they are not enough on their own.
The reality is that the most durable solution lies with Congress. And there is clear precedent for action. In 1921, lawmakers passed the Packers and Stockyards Act to break the grip of a previous generation of meatpacking monopolies. That law prohibited unfair, deceptive, and discriminatory practices and sought to ensure fair competition in livestock markets.
Congress can act again. It can require greater transparency in cattle pricing to restore true market competition. It can strengthen enforcement standards so regulators don’t have to clear impossible legal hurdles to hold dominant firms accountable. And it can support the development of new, independent processing capacity to give ranchers and consumers real alternatives.
None of this is radical. It’s a return to basic market principles – competition, transparency, and fairness.
Americans should be able to walk into a grocery store and buy affordable beef with confidence in where it came from and how it was produced. They shouldn’t be forced to pay inflated prices because a handful of politically connected corporations have rigged the system in their favor.
Shane Harris is the Editor-in-Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
Once again it is corporate America who is causing much higher than necessary prices so greedy corporations can make more money off the back of Americans. I also wonder if some companies out there are raising prices simply to undermine the Trump ecomony??? Many billionaire big business owners are radical liberals. Just “saying”!!!
Are you sure it’s not the insane environmentalist policies of the Marxist Democrat party? Overregulation and taxation will destroy anything. And that is the motto of the Democrat party if it moves tax it and regulate it. If you can extract kickbacks from it do it. They are the most corrupt party to ever exist they want to blame everything on capitalism and Donald Trump. In fact they are a domestic terrorist organization and need to be banned from existence.
China owns many Beef & Pork prcessing and packing plants. What do you expect when you allow foreign Entities to own alot of our supply needs? It’s political leverage via blackmail. Our political/ corporate greed got us here despite past Union warnings, now we suffer. It’s NOT all Trumps fault either, this goes back to the 1980s, one deal at a time.
I won’t buy my meat products in ANY retail outlet. I buy direct from American Ranchers. At least I know where my meat is coming from. Also,I buy from local Rancher in local area where I live. Sure, it’s expensive, but much safer.
what happened to Sherman Anti-Trust. This was passed years ago to prevent price fixing by companies or did act only apply to railroads.
Where are the progressive left in all this. They are fighting the oligarchy?. Or are they? They created this monopoly under Obama. Progressives never put oversight nor audits in place when they propose a policy. They are protecting the Brazilian companies to break Americans with high meat prices. Plus they get kickbacks from these companies. The silence of Bernie and Pocahontas is deafening. Autopen even took restrictions off to give them free range to set prices. Even to the point to trying to kill us with bringing rotten meat in from Brazil. American beef probably went to Brazil. These progressives are so quiet. Like about the fraud these foreigners here are committing in this country. VPVance is working tirelessly to stop it while the Tampon Timmies in the party are getting bribes to keep it going. Our country is being destroyed from within since 2009. With the help from the WEF billionaires and communist Soros.
Yes beef prices are outrageous.
Unfortunately, if we are waiting for congress to fix this, we are doomed. They couldn’t find their way out of a brown paper bag. First, bring back origin of the meat products. I hate to say this but, I world pay a little more for USA beef. And pray for someone to light a torch on the backside of our congress.
4 major meat packing companies in America 2 are owned by china what a country our gov and politicians help our enemy and as usual screw the people
When competition is eliminated prices become whatever they say they are. The only way to bring down prices is to eliminate demand. Unfortunately that’s easier to say than do. Beef like all all other perishables can only sit in the displays for so long, only a successful boycotting of any commodity can bring down prices. There are other options, however there’s nothing like a hunk of beef.
In many rural areas, those who raise a few beef often sell to local people. While it isn’t viable for most people, it is an option. In my town, a rancher has opened a small meat market (beef only). Their prices are quite high, too, but it’s quality beef. I just eat less.
The Newsworld Screwworm epidemic coupled with drought conditions and government regulations are a huge factor also. Repopulating the herds will also take a while since cows don’t produce litters.
If you’re waiting for Congress to stand up for the American people, don’t hold your breath!
The Dems will never vote for this if it means voting for something that Trump wants. They want food prices to go even higher in order to make gains with voters in November.
Most of us know about the problem because of the middle man again. If relief depends upon Congress we are doomed. The influence peddlers in DC have no time for constituents. Too busy grabbing that lobbyist money and clutching power of us. These issues distort capitalism giving the socialists a food in the ideology door.
My days of buying beef in the local super market have been over for as far back as I can remember. We have American ranchers who have beef for mail order, its the very best in taste and quanity. I highly recommend these and some are advertised on TV.
This article explains a lot about the pricing, and I believe further the quality of what is sold.
I’m pretty sure that the ranchers are not to blame on this problem. The “middlemen” are rolling in the dough. Just look at who is making all the money – corporations and foreigners. I’m so very disappointed in our elected officials for not looking into this “big” problem. They are supposed to be our “representatives” but seems like all they want to do is “investigate” without results. So many of Americas problems could be updated by Congress, but immigration Laws, election Laws, Tax Laws and others remain dated and wrong. Please vote wisely and let’s find some smart men and women that will work for the American Citizen.
Very interesting! I just read this morning that the beef tariff was the reason for the high prices along with small heard counts. We need to know where our beef is coming from!
Cow farts are probably the reason. Its a climate change issue -:)
I know where my beef comes from. I buy direct from the farmer.
“Congress repealed country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef and pork in 2015,” What could possibly be the reason for this? Surely we deserve to know where our food is coming from. My husband and I have noticed the decline in the quality of beef, esp. steaks which seem tough and hold lots of grizzle even when graded choice or premium. We avoid buying steaks these days. Anyone know why Congress changed labeling 11 years ago?
the good news is we can do something about it by supporting local – once corporate beef clowns get hammered by lower profits and returns then we can just kick them to the curb in favor of our local farmers. of course that means putting current and former lawmakers and leaders in local/state/federal government on trial for their aiding and abetting enemies and other countries over the u.s. but hey nobody said it would be an easy cleanup. then we shut down the federal government and form a more perfect union with constitutionalists in one union and liberal/socialist/commies in another. once the liberal/socialist/commies destroy their own union then we can absorb their land back into the functioning constitutionalist union and then ensure those clowns never get put in charge of anything – if they whine then tell ’em to create their own hell holes somewhere else. if tennessee can kick their sorry butts so can the rest of us.
I just stopped buying beef mostly. Pork and chicken now.
Sue them for all their worth. Greedy companies don’t deserve our money. Boycott!
Transparency of origin is not just a meat industry problem. I’ve tried several times to find the country of origin of products I was interested in purchasing only to be completely stymied by the lack of information.
All this hiding of origins of all products needs to end so we, the consumers can know what we are buying and no more guessing.
I don’t care which politicians vote to bring transparency to the retail market place I’ll vote for and support them.
All the politicians need to follow their oaths of office instead of gainsaying the constitution. Honesty is best but for most of them it would take a Pinocchio Curse to make them stop lying.
My take on the high cost of beef, pork and poultry was a part of the Biden Administration’s agenda of controlling the population, (along with the COVID mandates), in making food so expensive that we would follow the government’s controls.
They wiped out the poultry, beef and pork industry with the virus scare and destroyed many of the rancher’s and farmer’s animals under the guise of keeping the people safe from contracting “supposed” infections.
Instead of isolating the sick animals and letting the ranchers, farmers and vets decide the best way to save the strongest animals in the herds. That plan didn’t fit in their control of food on the table!
The Biden people wanted to control our food industry with the propaganda that scientists had devised a method to produce the meat in labs! Talk about “Soylent Green” being landed on our doorstep. That would have been the solution and possibly is still in the works in the Corporate World.
We are now paying for the stupidity and bad planning that destroyed many herds and small farms, (which takes years to rebuild those herds and flocks for the American “Bread Basket”).
Somehow can we get the Corporations as allies and not adversaries to get us back on track to supporting the small farms and ranches?
There are many bad decisions that have led us to this point, hopefully we have some very intelligent people that can get us back on the right track!
A friend of mine (I jokingly call her “The Cattle Baroness”) has a small beef cattle ranch. She can hardly keep her head above water, given her high costs.
Our local burger joint has been raising prices and cutting portion size.
I’m paying more, she’s paying more, restaurants are paying more.
Who’s getting rich?
“HELLO! I’m from the gubmint, and I’m here to help!”
I’m a retired farmer in Nebraska. Most of the midwest has been in a severe drought for several years. A couple years ago the drought was so bad nothing grew, so no grass or hay and many ranchers had to sell their herd or watch them starve. Most cattle ended up as ground beef. Now ranchers are rebuilding herds at very high market prices. A bucket calf can bring as much as 2500. So you can imagine what a cow brings. It’s not all the big packing plants fault. The cattle market is a result of limited supply. It will take a few years for heards to rebuild and markets to correct.
We have plenty to beef about without having to meat additional challenges. At this historic period of time when the “experts” are finally admitting how important Protein is should not be the moment “Middle Man Greed” should ruin things for everybody!
Control the food control the people
What better way to push the liberal agenda for the 2026 midterm elections. Across the board, Congress, corporate America and the mainstream media working against the Trump administration. They just can stand a prosperous, strong and free America.
We need to let our farmers know that we have there backs if they have a bad season, or if they have a bad winter. It only makes sense that we produce our own food. During covid they had to sell off there stock because the feed was too expensive. Our land our food, kick these others off our land China for one. I want to eat American produced food, and we have the ability to do so. Will we never learn ?? Farmers should not have to live wondering year by year. They feed us time to smartin up.
Remember when people like John Carey and so many others who joined the anti government anti The Man crowd said The Man was the problem, Well guess what all of those idiots sold out to The Man and are now in elected office. They are The Man and 95% are Democrat and or Democrat Socialists, which by the way is an Oxymoron because by its very definition, one cannot be the other, they are diametrically opposed to one another!
It’s absolutely a fact that these pricing fixes are an effort to sink the Trump economy! The reality is simple, Liberals are willing to cut their collective nose off to spite the Conservative and or Maga population. These flaming Dems and allegedly socialist people would burn this country to the ground to achieve their goals, now I use the phrase alleged socialist because, not a single one of them would give up what they have even if they thought it help others succeed, they’re all liars. Ie Burnie Sanders, AOC, Momdani and everyone else who claims to be a socialist in America.
I quit buying beef after the pandemic. There’s plenty of other healthy & affordable protein options available. If I wanted some, I’d buy it from relatives who raise it, but I’m alone, so it’s not worth it.
Any place money is to be made is where people will abuse the system. If you want to buy meat, find a local rancher who does his own production, or a co-op of farmers/ranchers to do business with. Just don’t buy from the big guys. Even the ones who are still American. I know that’s bucking the system, but the system is broken and you can’t trust these giant corporate entities. (and not just the meat producers). Bigger is not better…..and if you are going to spend the money spend it with someone you can see, speak to, and shake hands with….not some uncaring giant. In any case, even in the grocery store you can find local producers to buy from. Price is important, but you have to decide if you want to be suckered by a big corp. or not. Your choice. With most other food items you can find the country of origin….by American every time you can….and locally.
Is our USA Nation still forwarding our chickens & other livestock to China for processing while masquerading as entirely processed in the USA as revealed a decade ago?
I am not sure what makes these guys think they can sell $10 hamburger and $30 T-Bone. We are reasonably well off but with pork still at $4 a pound and chicken a bit more than that, I will NOT pay these prices. I seem to remember in Econ 101 they taught us about “Elasticity of Demand,” Raise prices and demand falls. Raise them far enough and there is no demand at all. These fools are going to end the beef industry.
Record beef imports surge as U.S. herd hits 75-year low. You can raise cattle without grassland; there is a severe drought. Seen Hoover Dam?
Boycott beef until prices come back down.
The writer mentions that “Congress can act again” but if they have their hand in the till also it just ain’t gonna happen. The fox watching the hen house?
For the most part its the crooked Politian at fault just another reason for term limits on those in the white house
This is the beef industry making more money in hard times and large cattle ranches. They take over government land to graze cattle for cheap money that they pay the government to use this land what do they do in return raise beef prices so the people cant afford even hamburger and forget steak, They can get away with it because our government does noting to help the people of this country. Very sad what goes on in this country just plain GREED.
Crony corporatism is a natural outgrowth of the traditional Republican policy of government-business partnerships.