Inflation and meat prices

[Kingcreek]

I was at Costco yesterday. The baby loin back pork ribs that used to be $3.25 per pound and sometimes on sale for 2.89 were $5.99 so the 3 rack packs were averaging around $35!
The pork tenderloin saddle pack (2 packs of 2 each) had 3 different price per pound in the case all with same “best if used by” date. WTH did the price change 2x in one day? I bought a pack for $4.46 per pound, some were 5.45 and some were 6.08!
Let’s go Brandon!

[charby]

$5.30 corn and $12.20 soybeans is why.

[K Frame]

I've not noticed any real jumps in meat prices lately other than bacon, which has gone up quite a bit. Everything else has been a slow glide upwards over the past couple of years.

The local stores near me are still selling family packs of chicken breast for $1.99 a pound, ground turkey is about $3 a pound in 3 pound packages, etc. That's fortunate as I eat mostly poultry.

Beef prices (I rarely buy beef) have been going up pretty steadily the last couple of years, but I recently bought 80% hamburger on sale for $2.99 a pound (3 pound pack) and last week I bought a nice choice Angus chuck roast on sale for $3.99 a pound, which is about as low as I've seen it in a long time.

Pork prices have also been going up a bit, as well, but like beef, I normally only buy pork products on sale.

This past week I bought a preseasoned pork tenderloin for $2.99 a pound. I always keep a couple of them in the freezer because they cook really quickly and make for a couple of decent meals.

I buy larger pork loin roasts around the holidays when they go on sale for New Year's. I generally can find them for $1.69 to $1.99 a pound. If I find a really good sale on them I'll buy a couple and cut them into roasts and chops and vacuum seal them for use throughout the year.

[MechAg94]

I think my Dad will finally agree to butcher a heifer instead of just selling them.  His cows have at least a couple calves a year and he doesn't have enough land to keep them. 

I assume some govt did something to increase the costs of raising prime beef cows.  Cost of feed mentioned above could be it.

[Bogie]

Along with cost of transporting everything... And the damn dewormer meds are now hard to get...

[charby]

Along with cost of transporting everything... And the damn dewormer meds are now hard to get...

4 companies (2 are foreign owned, one is 51% foreign owned) control 75% of the beef pack

4 companies (2 are foreign owned) control 70% of the pork pack

4 companies (1 foreign owned) control over 50% of the chicken pack

Many of those companies also own the animals from breeding to slaughter, so they can manipulate the sale prices of the independent producer.

[Nick1911]

4 companies (2 are foreign owned, one is 51% foreign owned) control 75% of the beef pack

4 companies (2 are foreign owned) control 70% of the pork pack

4 companies (1 foreign owned) control over 50% of the chicken pack

Many of those companies also own the animals from breeding to slaughter, so they can manipulate the sale prices of the independent producer.

Are you suggesting that these companies are colluding to keep prices high?

[charby]

Are you suggesting that these companies are colluding to keep prices high?

They have to be, you look at carcass/live animal prices and then wholesale finish prices, something isn't right there.

Live cattle prices https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/live-cattle-price  (adjust the chart and it's only been a 3.5% increase over the last 18 months)

Wholesale meat prices https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/resources/wholesale-price-update

[charby]

Some of the growers are pushing back and opening up kill plants

https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/stung-by-pandemic-jbs-cyberattack-us-ranchers-build-new-beef-plants-2021-06-17/

I wish them luck, I communicate with folks associated with a farmer owned beef kill plant and they are all complaining about having enough workers any given day to run the plant for a day.

[cordex]

I wish them luck, I communicate with folks associated with a farmer owned beef kill plant and they are all complaining about having enough workers any given day to run the plant for a day.

Ouch.  Bet that gets expensive.

Is it possible that the big producers are facing the same issue which is in part driving costs up?

[charby]

Ouch.  Bet that gets expensive.

Is it possible that the big producers are facing the same issue which is in part driving costs up?

Labor shortages yes, but they still pay less per hour (inflation adjusted) then when much of the pack was unionized.

There is no shortage of articles out there about the profits being made in the meat pack industry in the last few years and the independent producers taking it in the shorts. The movement is for the "independent producers" to be contract labor and raise the company animals in CAFOs (and deal with the manure).

[Ben]

They have to be, you look at carcass/live animal prices and then wholesale finish prices, something isn't right there.

Live cattle prices https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/live-cattle-price  (adjust the chart and it's only been a 3.5% increase over the last 18 months)

Wholesale meat prices https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/resources/wholesale-price-update

That's what all the cattle guys here are talking about. They get nothing for their beef while prices are going sky high. Out here they are also looking at pooling resources and cutting the big guys out, but it's difficult from what I am told.

[Kingcreek]

I bought a half beef from my cousin last year. (Still have good supply) but for slaughter and butcher he has to have it scheduled 1 year in advance. Many (almost all) small private lockers around here like within 100 miles have closed up because of new gov regs and fees and problems getting cutters/processors.
I still don’t understand 3 different prices in the same meat case with the same due to be gross date.
We still buy whole chicken pretty cheap.
I might have to try a little harder to arrow a deer or 2. Or 3.

[K Frame]

Just got the latest sales circular for my local grocery chain, Giant.

80% lean ground beef on sale this week for $2.99 a pound in the 3 pound value packs.

Chicken thighs (value pack) on sale, 99 cents a pound.

I think I'll buy a pack of thighs and a bunch of veggies and make chicken veggie noodle soup. About time for a pot of that.

[sumpnz]

Thankfully we got a deer this year.  One of my elk hunting buddies drew a cow tag so hopefully we’ll get an elk.  1/3 of a cow elk isn’t a huge amount but it’s something, and probably still cheaper than buying beef.  Need to figure out the bull patterns better so we can harvest one of those more regularly.

Raising meat chickens isn’t saving me anything ($1100 just for 100 chicks and 1 ton of feed).  But I enjoy it and the flavor and nutritional value is much better than store bought.

Should look into buying a beef from the auction sometime.  Bring it home and keep it on grass and grain for a couple months then butcher.  If I got a walk in cooler built I could even dry age it for 2+ weeks.  Might be economical, especially if I rent out space when not using it for myself.

[Kingcreek]

Should look into buying a beef from the auction sometime.  Bring it home and keep it on grass and grain for a couple months then butcher.  If I got a walk in cooler built I could even dry age it for 2+ weeks.  Might be economical, especially if I rent out space when not using it for myself.

A buddy of mine made a cooler for hanging up to 5 deer. He used an old chest freezer that a neighbor gave him. Took the lid off, built insulated walls and doors around it in a corner of his garage and put a small fan in the bottom of it. He has a beam with hooks above it. Works great.

[Jim147]

I've made a few out of old window units. Fan on all the time for off cycle defrost. Use a refrigeration thermostat to turn compressor on and off.

[sumpnz]

I've made a few out of old window units. Fan on all the time for off cycle defrost. Use a refrigeration thermostat to turn compressor on and off.

Coolbot has all that figured out for me.

[zxcvbob]

About 50 years ago, my dad built a walk-in cooler for chilling hogs when we butchered them.  Probably about 6x10 feet.  We also smoked sausage and bacon in there.  It used a small window air conditioner thru the wall for refrigeration.  I don't remember what he did to the thermostat to get it to go down to about 40°, but in that well-insulated room it handled it just fine.  Probably about a 5000 BTU unit, 6000 at the most.

[WLJ]

Stop your whining

    Inflation airhead: NBC's Stephanie Ruhle says the "dirty little secret" of people complaining about paying higher prices for food and fuel for their homes is they can afford it just fine. According to her, people should have been saving during the pandemic and stocks look good. pic.twitter.com/RQ90focIXJ

    — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) November 14, 2021

The suggestion by an MSNBC anchor that Americans ‘can afford’ inflation is not going unnoticed
https://twitchy.com/jacobb-38/2021/11/14/the-suggestion-by-an-msnbc-anchor-that-americans-can-afford-inflation-is-not-going-unnoticed/

[K Frame]

Yeah, don't you know that complaining about food and fuel prices is white Trump violence?

[Ben]

Stop your whining

The suggestion by an MSNBC anchor that Americans ‘can afford’ inflation is not going unnoticed
https://twitchy.com/jacobb-38/2021/11/14/the-suggestion-by-an-msnbc-anchor-that-americans-can-afford-inflation-is-not-going-unnoticed/

"Hey, you've got plenty of money! Just sell the roof over your head and live off that!"

She went to the same economics school as AOC. People like her want people (other than her and her friends) to all live in government housing with their money removed from private investments and held by big brother to be doled out to you as big brother sees fit, as food chits, electricity chits, etc.

[bedlamite]

[WLJ]

    Q: Why, when Americans are seeing higher prices, are Republicans united against a bill to lower core costs on prescription drugs, health care, child care, and elder care?

    A: They’re rooting for inflation. https://t.co/Dl0JRB5WXv

    — Jen Psaki (@PressSec) November 16, 2021

https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2021/11/16/desperate-jen-psaki-says-that-republicans-are-rooting-for-inflation/

 

[K Frame]

Well, I'm a Republican, and I'm rooting for inflation in the same way that Democrats are rooting for rioters.