Parched Plains Means Cheap Burgers for Fourth of July Grilling
- Dried-out pastures forced ranchers to sell cattle early
- American meat supplies are climbing across the board
Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
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The parched fields at Pete Bonds’ Texas ranch show why burgers are getting so cheap.
A winter dry spell across the southern U.S. Plains left wheat fields and pastures too sparse for grazing, forcing some ranchers to sell cattle to feedlots early. After being fattened on grain for several months, those animals are now arriving at slaughterhouses, boosting meat supplies and helping to keep beef costs subdued.