Tight US cattle herd squeezes beef jerky producers
Roast prices up 20% as jerky makers compete for lean cuts
1 July 2026
1 minute read
By: The tightest US cattle herd since the 1950s is squeezing beef jerky producers, who compete with hamburger grinders and export buyers for lean cuts, according to a CoBank protein report.
Prices for most roasts rose 20% or more year on year at the start of 2025 and have remained elevated in 2026. Producing one pound of finished jerky requires 2.5 to 3.5 pounds of raw beef, meaning cost increases hit finished product prices hard.
Despite the squeeze, more than $1 billion in new meat snack processing capacity has been announced since 2020, including a $450 million Jack Link's plant in Perry, Georgia. CoBank said meat snack sales have grown 45% in four years to $4.4 billion, with beef products dominating the category.
