LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD NEWS) — A proposal branded “Make America More Ground Beef” is being promoted to lower grocery-store prices, but the economics suggest its primary impact would fall elsewhere. Hyrum Egbert, author of The Big Bad Beef Packer newsletter, argues the plan functions less like consumer relief and more like a buyout-style support mechanism for dairies under margin pressure.
Proponents claim that diverting up to one million additional dairy-origin cattle to slaughter could add more than a billion pounds of lean trim and sharply reduce ground beef prices. Egbert notes that math does not hold up. Typical dairy cow yields translate to closer to 200 pounds of lean trim per head, not the 1,100 pounds implied, dramatically shrinking the potential supply boost.
Processing capacity also limits impact. Cow slaughter plants are already operating near normal levels, so pushing additional volume would take months and create regional bottlenecks rather than provide rapid retail relief. Meanwhile, ground beef markets naturally adjust through blending and import substitution, muting price effects.
Egbert concludes that the program would most clearly benefit dairy producers and, conditionally, cow packers, while taxpayers fund the transfer, and consumers see limited sustained relief.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Policies aimed at ground beef prices may primarily reshape dairy incentives rather than deliver lasting consumer savings.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
Tennessee Rep. John Rose joined us to pay tribute to his friend and colleague, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a true Champion of Rural America.
January 07, 2026 12:20 PM
·
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030.
January 07, 2026 11:55 AM
Long-term demand uncertainty is reshaping specialty crop strategies as producers adapt to fewer, older consumers.
January 07, 2026 08:01 AM
·
Seasonal boxed beef softness does not change the tight-supply outlook — leverage remains closer to the farm gate heading into 2026.
January 07, 2026 06:00 AM
·
Roger McEowen with the Washburn University School of Law joined us to provide legal insight and context on these issues facing agriculture. Today, he discusses pesticide litigation.
January 06, 2026 01:39 PM
·
Sen. Deb Fischer reintroduces the HAULS Act to update hours-of-service exemptions and definitions affecting livestock and agricultural haulers. She joins us on Market Day Report to share more about her proposed legislation.
January 06, 2026 01:28 PM
·
