# High U.S. meat prices: packer profiteering or capacity crunch? | Reuters

> Reuters reports that US beef retail prices rose 30% from early 2020 to a peak of $7.90 per pound in October 2021, easing slightly in November and December according to USDA data. The article examines whether packer margins or packing capacity limits drove the high prices.

- Date: 2022-01-19 · published 2022-01-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: market · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/43087-high-u-s-meat-prices-packer-profiteering-or-capacity-crunch-reuters
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

High retail beef prices reflect tight wholesale supply and packing constraints, which bear on cattle slaughter demand and the margins feeders receive.

## Read by commodity

- LCATTLE: neutral

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/high-us-meat-prices-packer-profiteering-or-capacity-crunch-2022-01-19/

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