‘Herds Gutted’: Historically Low U.S. Cattle Inventory Drives Beef Prices to New Highs
America’s declining cattle herd is nothing short of alarming, and some ranchers call it a “national security threat” to the nation’s food supply chain. This continues to be a major theme fueling record-high cattle prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and beef prices at the local supermarket. Elevated interest rates and soaring input costs under the Biden-Harris regime years have made it increasingly difficult to maintain or rebuild herds—challenges that are expected to persist early in President Trump’s second term.
Ranchers have faced a slew of macroeconomic headwinds in maintaining or restocking their herds, as rising interest expenses on cattle and elevated input costs since 2022 have squeezed margins and eroded incentives to rebuild. Compounding the challenge are drought conditions and “green” degrowth climate policies, which have added further pressure on producers.
At the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Cattle Inventory report revealed that the nation’s cattle supply had fallen to a 73-year low, totaling about 86.6 million head.
At the supermarket, USDA data from the end of March showed the average price for a pound of ground beef reached yet another record high of $5.79.
Given the current cattle cycle marked by low inventory and high prices, many questions linger about when ranchers and producers will begin rebuilding the nation’s cattle herd. If more replacement stock isn’t brought online soon, the industry could face a severe supply crunch, which could drive retail prices for ground beef and other beef products significantly higher.
“The herd’s not just thinned — it’s been gutted. The lowest since 1951, and that’s not an accident. That’s a warning. Years of fake money, regulatory mischief, and globalist trade schemes have stripped the land of its stewards,” The Beef Initiative founder, Texas Slim, stated.
Slim emphasized: “We didn’t just lose cattle — we lost legacy, sovereignty, and a future for our children. Rebuilding this herd isn’t just about beef. It’s about survival. National security doesn’t start with weapons — it starts with food.”
The Beef Initiative, an agricultural think tank, advocates for a more localized, redundant, and secure food supply chain—one that delivers clean beef products to American consumers while empowering individual ranchers. The think tank’s mission stands in stark contrast to the current toxic food system, which is largely dominated by the processed food industrial complex.
Connecting ranchers directly with consumers will be one of the key pillars of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement—an effort that ZeroHedge will soon be supporting. The initiative aims to return control of the food supply chain to mom-and-pop ranchers, provide Americans with clean beef, and promote greater transparency and accountability around food.