0:00
The American cattle supply is at its lowest level since 1951, according to the Agriculture Department
0:06
As a result, cattle prices are soaring, and this could mean higher prices at the grocery store or going to the butcher
0:13
The Wall Street Journal reports cattle markets in Chicago hit a record in January and were almost 20 percent higher than two years ago
0:21
As a result, beef processors such as Tyson Foods, JBS and Cargill are trying to get as much meat as possible off the bone
0:28
For such large companies, just a 1% increase in the amount of meat harvested from each carcass can translate into $80 million in annual revenue
0:37
Cuts include chuck, rib, loin, round, and flank steak. Workers at meat processing plants shave as much as they can
0:45
Bones that still have meat on them are sent to a trim table in a different part of the plant
0:50
Workers then clean the bone and use the remaining meat they harvest for ground beef
0:55
Henry Davis, the CEO of Greater Omaha Packing, says that excess trim is worth anywhere from $1.25 to $3 per pound
1:04
He says deboning is a very labor-intensive, time-consuming process, also called white bone programs
1:10
Meat that stays on the bone until the bitter end can still be sent for rendering and ground into pet food
1:17
Back in 1951, drought and high feed prices led to the contraction of the cow herd and fewer cattle available
1:23
The USDA's recent cattle count in 2025 in the United States is at about 28 million, the lowest number since 1951
1:32
The bottom line is due to today's supply shortage of cattle, meat processors and beef giants are doing everything they can to maximize profits by pulling as much meat off the bone in order to sell it
1:44
For more unbiased updates, download the Straight Arrow News app
