SALT LAKE CITY — So with beef prices going up and no real end in sight, will that lead to beef demand going down?
Americans and Utahns do love their beef.
Steaks, roasts, tacos, burgers, you name it.
At Snider Brothers Meats in Holladay we talked to one of the owners who says they’re caught between rising beef prices and not pricing their customers out.
Amir Orome was wrapping up his latest visit to Snider Brothers Meats on Friday.
And he knows that his steak and other beef products were a little more expensive than the last time.
“We try to control the budget for sure.
But it’s understandable that even the farmers, they have to pay more for the gas, for insurance, for the cost of the tractors, for everything else they have to do.”
“Pricing right now is quite dramatic!”
That’s Jacob Wilson, a sixth generation butcher working for the family owned Snider Brothers Meats.
He says, no matter how you slice it right now, times are tough for beef lovers.
“There’s been some ebbs and flows since the pandemic for sure, major ebbs and flows. But now we’re just seeing a whole different type….these are definitely the highest prices we’ve seen, pretty much ever.”
Wilson says there are several factors but one of the biggest? The decreasing number of beef cows.
Wilson says domestic beef herds are the lowest they’ve been since the 1950’s.
“Farmers are not able to make the amount of money, the revenue that they need in order to stay viable… and so they have to increase prices on a lot of these options.”
Certain items, like chuck roast, are up more than 30% over last year.
“You know pot roast at home, it’s always been an American staple and it’s always been one that’s a very affordable option and right now… it’s not looking so affordable.”
For now, he says they’re doing what they can to keep their loyal customers coming back…like selling their ground beef at a loss.
“You know at a certain point the consumer is just not going to be able to afford it anymore.
And we would hate to see that happen.”
But for beef lovers and regular customers like Nicky, she says her family’s not quite there…yet.
“Oh yeah, we’re definitely carnivores and we will do what we can to keep buying beef. But we decide to buy local, so coming here is a good option for that.”
Jacob Wilson said, besides trying to keep prices low, they’re beginning to offer different cuts of meat like something called the Denver steak. Something that, at least for now is a little more affordable than some of the more popular cuts.
