# Meat Demand Sizzles as Memorial Day Nears | Farm Bureau Intel Markets | American Farm Bureau Federation

> USDA forecasts higher US consumption of beef, pork and chicken in 2026. Beef prices are at record levels because of the smallest US cattle herd in 75 years. Chicken remains the most affordable and most consumed meat, and pork supply is described as balanced.

- Date: 2026-05-19 · published 2026-05-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/19203-meat-demand-sizzles-as-memorial-day-nears-farm-bureau-intel-markets-american
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Chicken](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CHICKEN.md)

## Why it matters

Strong meat demand alongside tight beef supply supports cattle prices, while abundant chicken supply keeps competition for beef in check.

## Read by commodity

- CHICKEN: neutral
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2024-02-05 | [U.S. Cattle Inventory Smallest in 73 years \| Farm Bureau Intel Markets \| American Farm Bureau Federation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31619-u-s-cattle-inventory-smallest-in-73-years-farm-bureau-intel-markets-american.md) | +1.8% | +4.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-02-10 | [Smaller Cattle Herd Creates Market Volatility \| Farm Bureau Intel Markets \| American Farm Bureau Federation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20724-smaller-cattle-herd-creates-market-volatility-farm-bureau-intel-markets.md) | +1.7% | -2.2% |
| LCATTLE | 2021-02-04 | [January Cattle Inventory and Cattle on Feed Reports \| Farm Bureau Intel Markets \| American Farm Bureau Federation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/48571-january-cattle-inventory-and-cattle-on-feed-reports-farm-bureau-intel-markets.md) | +0.8% | +2.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-12-04 | [Bullish Cattle Report Does Not Indicate Herd Expansion \| Farm Bureau Intel Markets \| American Farm Bureau Federation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21454-bullish-cattle-report-does-not-indicate-herd-expansion-farm-bureau-intel.md) | +4.1% | +8.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-08-01 | [Livestock Market Update for The Second Half of 2024 \| Farm Bureau Intel Markets \| American Farm Bureau Federation](https://feedsoft.ai/events/28790-livestock-market-update-for-the-second-half-of-2024-farm-bureau-intel-markets.md) | -1.5% | -3.4% |

## Sources

- fb.org: https://www.fb.org/intel/markets/meat-demand-sizzles-as-memorial-day-nears

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