Beef prices soar as Labor Day Weekend looms on deck

By Pune Media On Aug 26, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Rising beef prices are hitting consumers hard this year, with costs jumping more than 10% since last summer.

Local cattle farmers and butchers say a combination of import restrictions and international trade issues is fueling the spike.

Ben Neale, who has run a cattle farm for more than a decade as well as runs his own butcher shop in Spring Hill, says it’s not just domestic supply and demand at play.

“Each year, supply and demand are affected by beef prices, but also by imports,” Neale said.

Much of the ground beef in the U.S. relies on a mix of domestic fat and lean imported trim, often from live cattle brought in from Mexico. That imported lean meat helps stabilize prices by balancing out the U.S. fat content in ground beef.

At Neale’s shop ‘Light Hill Meats,’ the prices have not been altered much by the ongoing issues, because Neale raises and slaughters his own cattle.

“We [The U.S.] get in a lot of live cattle from Mexico, which go to plants throughout the Midwest,” Neale explained. “That trim is what gets used for a lot of our ground beef. It’s mixed with American fat or tallow, and that’s what keeps your ground beef prices down.”

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However, ongoing trade challenges — including tariffs and concerns over livestock diseases such as screw worm — have restricted the flow of cattle imports. That disruption is pushing prices upward, in some cases by as much as $2 per pound for ground beef.

“It depends on which part of the live animal market is affected,” Neale said. “But a lot of these things do play out in cycles.”

In the meantime, Neale encourages consumers to build a relationship with their local butcher, who may be able to recommend more affordable cuts or alternative options while the market stabilizes.

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