Roller Coaster Continues for Wholesale Beef Prices

With wholesale beef prices dropping 18% since Labor Day, analysts agree that supply chain bottlenecks are exacerbating the impacts of seasonal demand. Middle meats have been the largest driver of the decline, with rib primal and loin primal noticeably down, 12% and 22%, respectively. Analysts are noting that packers have more inventory to sell spot, rather than wholesale. The trend continues with deliveries, as the weeks leading up to October far outpaced August deliveries. As supply chain issues continue to play out, wholesale beef prices remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Read more on beef prices here.