美国牛肉零售价格同比上涨12%，涨幅为通胀率的三倍多，创下历史新高[1]。然而，从牧场主到肉类加工商，整个供应链上的企业利润并未随之增加[1]。BBC的深入调查显示，尽管各环节销售价格创纪录，但采购成本同步飙升至历史高位，加之产能利用率下降和市场限制，导致收入增加而利润停滞[1]。
牧场主面临的成本压力尤为明显[1]。牧场主埃里克·格罗珀的小牛拍卖价已达每600磅2,500美元，较两年前上升500美元[1]。同时，他购买设备的成本大幅攀升：皮卡从4万美元涨至10万美元，篱笆柱从6美元涨至19美元，带刺铁丝从60美元涨至130美元[1]。这一压力与美国严峻的牲畜短缺形成鲜明对比——美国2024年初的牛只数量为1951年以来最低，干旱地区牛群占比超过60%[1]。
肉类加工行业同样承受利润压力[1]。美国四大肉类加工企业——泰森、JBS、嘉吉和National Beef——控制约85%的牛肉加工市场[1]。其中，泰森在2024年上半财年的牛肉业务亏损超过500万美元[1]。小型肉加工商哈普利的处境更加困难，其活牛采购价在三年内上涨60%[1]。该公司原设计日处理425至450头牛，目前仅能处理350头，每头牛的损失为100至400美元[1]。餐饮企业也未能幸免，布洛克16汉堡餐厅的汉堡价格从2010年的8.95美元升至11.95美元，但利润仍受到压力[1]。
Retail beef prices in the United States have climbed 12 percent year-over-year, more than triple the rate of overall inflation, yet participants throughout the supply chain report that profits remain flat despite record sales figures [1]. A BBC investigation into the cattle industry reveals that while prices have reached historic highs at every stage—from ranch to slaughterhouse to restaurant—input costs have surged equally, leaving producers squeezed between shrinking margins and reduced capacity utilization [1].
The pressure on farmers has been acute. Rancher Eric Groper sold calves at auction for $2,500 per 600 pounds, up from $2,000 two years earlier, but his operating expenses have ballooned just as dramatically [1]. Equipment costs have surged dramatically: a pickup truck that once cost $40,000 now sells for $100,000; fence posts have tripled from $6 to $19; and barbed wire has more than doubled from $60 to $130 [1]. Meanwhile, the cattle herd has contracted to its lowest level since 1951, and over 60 percent of the nation's cattle are located in drought-affected regions, further constraining supply and raising feed costs [1].
Processing bottlenecks compound these challenges. The four largest meat-packing companies—Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef—control approximately 85 percent of the beef processing market [1]. Tyson reported losses exceeding $500 million in its beef division during the first half of fiscal 2024 [1]. Smaller processors like Harpley's Meatpacking face even steeper challenges: with live cattle purchase prices up 60 percent over three years, the company processes only 350 head daily against its design capacity of 425 to 450, resulting in losses of $100 to $400 per animal [1].
Restaurants attempting to pass costs to consumers see their own profit margins compressed. Bloke 16 burgers increased menu prices from $8.95 in 2010 to $11.95, yet profitability remains under pressure despite the significant price adjustment [1].