The Decibel Why beef is so expensive right now
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Nov 18, 2025 Join Kate Helmore, a food policy reporter at The Globe and Mail, as she unpacks the soaring prices of beef in Canada. She delves into the impact of severe drought on ranchers, leading to significant herd declines and sky-high retail costs. Kate explains how this has affected both consumers and restaurants, and discusses the challenges of rebuilding the national herd in the coming years. She also touches on the role of meatpacking consolidation and explores potential policy options to support ranchers in this turbulent time.
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Drought Shrank The Herd
- Three back-to-back drought years (2021–2023) devastated grasslands and hay crops, forcing ranchers to change operations.
- Ranchers sold breeding cows because they couldn't afford feed, shrinking future supply and raising long-term prices.
Selling Favorite Mother Cows
- Ranchers sold prized mother cows to avoid bankruptcy, often at low prices due to market glut.
- Sellers lost genetics and future production while taking financial hits they couldn't avoid.
National Herd Has Been Shrinking
- Canada's national beef herd has fallen from 16.8M in 2005 to 11.9M today, tightening supply.
- That long-term decline amplifies price swings when shocks like drought occur.
