# Beef Prices Hit Record in May on Screwworm Impact - TT

> Retail ground beef averaged $7.064 per pound in May, a record and up 13% from a year earlier, according to the BLS. Steak prices averaged $12.802 per pound. Analysts tie the high prices to the smallest US cattle herd in 75 years, drought, and the new screwworm outbreak in Texas.

- Date: 2026-06-10 · published 2026-06-10T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/18765-beef-prices-hit-record-in-may-on-screwworm-impact-tt
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Record retail beef prices reflect a structurally tight cattle supply that is unlikely to ease soon, which supports live and feeder cattle prices. Analysts see recovery possibly delayed until 2028.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2023-05-31 | [Steer prices hit record high in April 2023 \| Economic Research Service](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35878-steer-prices-hit-record-high-in-april-2023-economic-research-service.md) | +4.4% | +4.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-03-02 | [High beef prices, low national herd: ABARES \| Farm Online \| ACT](https://feedsoft.ai/events/54069-high-beef-prices-low-national-herd-abares-farm-online-act.md) | -5.1% | -9.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2023-05-11 | [Fed, feeder cattle prices in record-high range - Canadian Cattlemen](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35881-fed-feeder-cattle-prices-in-record-high-range-canadian-cattlemen.md) | +0.6% | +7.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-01-29 | [Cattle Markets Just Hit Record Highs. Is More Price Upside Likely?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11094-cattle-markets-just-hit-record-highs-is-more-price-upside-likely.md) | -1.5% | -4.5% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-09-15 | [Why beef prices are so high : The Indicator from Planet Money : NPR](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23004-why-beef-prices-are-so-high-the-indicator-from-planet-money-npr.md) | +0.1% | -0.7% |
| FCATTLE | 2023-05-31 | [Steer prices hit record high in April 2023 \| Economic Research Service](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35878-steer-prices-hit-record-high-in-april-2023-economic-research-service.md) | +2.3% | +1.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2023-05-11 | [Fed, feeder cattle prices in record-high range - Canadian Cattlemen](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35881-fed-feeder-cattle-prices-in-record-high-range-canadian-cattlemen.md) | -0.4% | +16.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-01-29 | [Cattle Markets Just Hit Record Highs. Is More Price Upside Likely?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11094-cattle-markets-just-hit-record-highs-is-more-price-upside-likely.md) | -4.8% | -2.6% |

## Sources

- ttnews.com: https://www.ttnews.com/articles/beef-prices-hit-record-may

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.