The U.S. is still one of the world’s biggest meat producers. So why are Americans paying so much for beef?

Grilling season — but ground beef hit a record $6.90/lb last month (about +19% year‑over‑year), sparking sticker shock at the supermarket.
U.S. cattle herd has fallen to about 86.2 million (the smallest since 1951) after droughts, heatwaves and higher feed/fertilizer costs, and rebuilding a herd takes years.
The U.S. still leads the world in meat per person and beef demand is fairly price‑inelastic, so Americans are likely to keep buying beef — meaning higher prices could stick around.