Articles by Altin Kalo

Retail beef prices in May 2025 were up 8.6% from last year.

Whether the explosive cattle market continues will hinge on whether domestic and export demand is strong enough to support current cattle values.

Ideally, the current situation proves to be a short-term disruption that ultimately leads to greater market access in China and elsewhere.

In the long run, beef producers need more, not fewer, trading partners and markets.

Heavier carcass weights may help moderate supply reductions but are unlikely to prevent them indefinitely.

In the coming year, supply will play a more significant role, and likely drive prices even higher.

Disease restrictions and the possibility of higher tariffs on Mexican cattle present another source of risk for US beef production in 2025 and beyond.

It remains unknown how long the ban on imports of Mexican feeder cattle will last, potentially tightening the US beef market even further.

Steiner Consulting is forecasting US beef imports in 2024 to be 4.3 billion pounds, 600 million pounds higher than in 2023, and more than 900 million pounds higher than in 2022.

Sending fewer female cattle to slaughter is the first step in finding the cyclical bottom.