hamburgers cooking on a barbeque

As recession risk rises in U.S., beef demand holds up

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The likelihood of a tariff-induced recession rises in the U.S. and worsening consumer sentiment jeopardizes what was expected to be a recovery year for food service and retail. So says Rabobank in its April Agribusiness Review. Trade disruption begins to weigh on pork values, leaving producers cautious, while milk production returns to growth while tariff […] Read more

a plant worker washing a beef carcass

Canadian beef exporters breathe a sigh of relief

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

I could almost hear the huge sighs of relief coming from Canadian livestock and meat producers on April 2 when U.S. President Trump announced he was imposing a new 10 per cent tariff on all imports. That’s because goods that comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are expected to be exempt from the new tariffs. […] Read more


Concept american and Canada flag on cracked background

Tariffs threaten trade upheavals in North American beef industry

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican exports to the U.S., and retaliatory tariffs by the two countries, are likely to cause significant trade upheavals throughout North America until they are removed. The U.S., as previously announced, imposed its tariffs on March 3 after delaying its move for 30 days. The […] Read more

a close-up view of a black cow

Tariff threat clouds outlook for beef producers

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

Cattle producers throughout North America have been holding their breath since President Donald Trump began his second term in office. They are hoping that he will not go ahead with his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico, an additional 10 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports […] Read more


Food processing giants lay off workers

Food processing giants lay off workers

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

To say that the past two years have been challenging for American meat companies is an understatement. Just two years ago, Tyson Foods, the largest processor of fed beef in the industry, posted operating income for its beef segment of US$2.502 billion. The year before, it posted a record operating profit of US$3.240 billion. But […] Read more

U.S. facing crucial beef shortages

U.S. facing crucial beef shortages

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The shrinking U.S. beef cow herd is raising more concern in the beef industry. Many observers wonder whether there will be enough cattle in the next two years to fill feedlots and beef processing plants and enough beef to satisfy consumer demand. There are no signs that producers have stopped sending more beef cows to […] Read more


October strike agreement brings sigh of relief

October strike agreement brings sigh of relief

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

A tentative agreement on October 3 between shipping companies and striking dockworkers brought huge sighs of relief from U.S. meat exporters and importers and the agricultural feed/food industry. All had warned that a prolonged strike would wreak havoc on their sectors. The last time the International Longshoremen’s Association struck in 1977, the port closure lasted […] Read more

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association supports the USDA’s new rule for animal disease traceability, but some groups and individuals continue to fight the measures.

Lack of traceability in U.S. beef industry is a disgrace

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The U.S. beef industry has struggled for much of the 36 years I have covered it to introduce a meaningful national animal traceability system. Its inability to do so is not only a disgrace but a real danger as a disease outbreak could bring the industry to its knees financially. Various efforts to introduce a […] Read more


Look for a slow rebuild of the U.S. cattle herd

Look for a slow rebuild of the U.S. cattle herd

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The U.S. beef cattle industry is smaller than needed and signals for rebuilding will continue in the coming months. But herd rebuilding is likely to be slow to start and proceed quite slowly initially. So says Oklahoma State University’s Derrell Peel in his latest analysis of the prospects for herd expansion. Meanwhile, a CoBank report […] Read more

Fewer cattle means that beef processors have lost money most weeks in 2024.

Where are all the cattle?

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The question in the headline reflects the most pertinent issue facing the U.S. beef industry. That is because the U.S. cattle herd on January 1 had shrunk to its lowest level since 1951. A fifth year of herd liquidation meant the January 1 total for cattle and calves was 87.157 million head, down 1.9 per […] Read more