In the February 19, 2026 article, “The Beef Industry Has a Message for Consumers: Get Used to High Prices,” the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. cattle herds are at their lowest level in 75 years, according to the USDA. Ranchers, as a result, are seeing their strongest profits in decades.
“Ranchers began shrinking their herds several years ago because of poor financial conditions stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic,” reports the WSJ. Drought added to the woes in ranchers’ feedstocks.
According to the report, “ranchers say they’ve been pouring their earnings into repairs, long-overdue equipment purchases and paying down debts.”
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