Trump Busy with Wars, US Citizens Worried About Meat Prices

This year, the aroma of brisket and steak comes with a much steeper bill in Uncle Sam’s country. The price of live cattle, or slaughter-ready cows, has broken a new record at US$2.52 per pound or US$5.56/kg or approximately Rp95,215/kg on 15 April 2026, the highest level in the entire history of modern commodity trading. In the past month, prices have risen 8.3%. Over the year, they have surged nearly 22%. On the CME futures market, live cattle contracts closed at US$2.51 per pound, the highest since data has been available from the 1960s decade, as the US beef supply remains tight. Citing CNBC International, the US cattle herd population is now at its lowest point since the 1950s. The situation is far more severe because the current US population is about twice that of that era. This means more mouths to feed with a much smaller livestock base. The pressure is evident in cattle slaughtering. Estimates for March 2026 show the number of cattle slaughtered dropped to around 2.2 million head, from 2.5 million head in the same period last year. Beef production also shrank by about 300,000 pounds to 1.9 million pounds. When supply decreases and demand remains steady, prices usually rise. That is what is happening now. For American households, the impact is directly felt on supermarket shelves. The average price of ground beef for hamburgers reached about US$6.70 per pound in March, up 12% from last year. This product is important as it is a staple in the daily menus of US residents, from homemade burgers to backyard BBQs. Fast-food restaurants are also squeezed. Major chains like McDonald’s, Chipotle, Shake Shack, and Cracker Barrel have significant exposure to beef. When raw material costs rise, companies must choose between two equally bitter options: raising menu prices or absorbing shrinking margins. The situation is further complicated by rising farming costs. Fertilisers and fuel prices are up due to the renewed escalation of the US-Iran conflict heating the energy market. For ranchers, costs of feeding livestock, transporting produce, and managing land are also pushed higher. A survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation shows that nearly 60% of US farmers feel their financial conditions are worsening. This makes the political irony hard to avoid. While US President Donald Trump is busy dealing with geopolitical tensions and trade wars, the pressure is landing on the dining tables of citizens themselves. Beef inflation is occurring alongside a 15% spike in tomato prices in March. Iconic affordable middle-class American foods like burgers, BLTs, and salads are slowly becoming more expensive.