Backed Up Beef Production Causes Price Hikes

(CBS DETROIT) - You might be spending more at check out for steaks, burgers and briskets.

The price for the products are beefing up as supplies begin to slim down.

Analysts from the Michigan Beef Industry Commission say cattle supply is tight due to the pandemic and as a result, slow production is causing a price hike.

"And that's because the packing and processing segment has just been operating with a reduced workforce and working as hard as they can to get product out to consumers," said George Quackenbush, Michigan Beef Industry Commission executive director.

The Covid-19 outbreak led to major shut downs at meat packing plants.

The pause in production backed up distribution and reduced the number of variety cuts causing a product shortage.

"It backed up cattle that would have typically would have gone to processing," he said.

Here in Michigan – grocers are seeing an increase in wholesale prices up three-times the normal rate.

"We've never seen as an industry something this dramatic and to this extent. This is certainly a once in a career, once in a lifetime type of event," said Quackenbush.

Beef prices are expected to normalize next month when the demand for grilling cuts start to peak.

"They appear to have plateaued and so that's encouraging also for consumers," he said.

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