Op-Ed: Domestic Beef Supply Chain on Road to Ruin
Commentary by Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA
Published on August 20, 2026
"America’s dependency on foreign beef has never been greater, and this foreign beef is not only displacing domestic production, but it is also disincentivizing domestic herd expansion," stated Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA. (Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash)
- Domestic Beef Production: Over the past three years, domestic beef production has decreased while consumption has increased.
- Cattle Inventory: Simultaneously, the U.S. beef cow inventory has declined, mirroring the rise in domestic beef consumption.
- Price Discrepancy: Both retail beef and cattle prices have risen, despite a shrinking beef cow inventory.
- Importation: The beef industry has seen record-high imports during this period, despite increasing prices.
- Market Imbalance: The retail beef margin has grown, while the wholesale or beef packer margin has decreased, highlighting an imbalance in the supply chain.
- Fed Cattle Market: The volume in the fed cattle cash market has declined, while beef packers' captive supplies have reached an all-time high in 2025.
These exhibits collectively illustrate severe market failures in both the downstream beef and upstream cattle segments of the domestic supply chain.