Why Are Experts Predicting the Tightening Beef Supply Will Continue?

According to recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates, beef production could be about 5% lower in 2025 compared to 2024—a declining trend that's expected to continue for the next few years. In fact, beef cow inventory in January 2023 was 3.6% less than the previous year. The current decrease in beef production follows years of shrinking herds that have put the U.S. beef herd at its lowest ebb since 1951, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.