Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 1/11/19



Continued strength in beef prices in 2018 and regular consumer visits to the meat case helped continue beef demand’s rise — to 15 percent since 2012, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) reports, citing the latest retail sales data from IRI/Freshlook.

The trend is expected to continue in 2019, with USDA predicting U.S. consumers will eat 8.9 percent more beef this year than they did in 2015. Ground beef and loin cuts, which are popular retail selections, are driving much of beef's demand.

Consumers not only are eating more beef, but also enjoying more high-quality beef because more cattle in the U.S. herd are grading higher than ever before.

"Cattle farmers and ranchers, and the entire beef industry, have worked particularly hard during the past 10 years to produce higher-quality beef, and that work is clearly paying off with increased consumer demand," said Bridget Wasser, Executive Director of Meat Science & Supply Chain Outreach for NCBA, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. "We're seeing demand for USDA Choice and Prime beef grow, signaling consumer desire for a higher-quality product. An increase in the size of the U.S. cattle herd paired with a higher-quality beef supply shows the industry is responding."

Beef demand isn't only strong at retail. Ninety-seven percent of foodservice establishments report having beef on the menu, according 2017 Usage and Volumetric Assessment of Beef in Foodservice study. Having beef on the menu  has been shown to increase restaurant traffic by 45 percent, according to USDA.

“From restaurants to retail, consumers clearly want beef on their plates. With beef supply on the upswing and consumer demand increasing, the beef industry is gaining momentum, and this trend looks to show no signs of slowing down in 2019,” NCBA officials said.

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