Today’s Twenty-Four is authored by beef producer and beef specialist with ATB Agriculture Lee Irvine.

High beef prices were a popular topic in the media over the long weekend. In one article, a livestock, meat and grocery market analyst argued that consumers are to “blame” for the high prices “because we keep on coming back.”

I was struck by this because we should be thanking, not blaming, consumers for their ongoing support of the Canadian beef industry.

It’s also important to know that the multi-year drought some areas of the Prairies are just coming out of has reduced the cattle herd and tightened supply and that production costs have been rising. Research published by Canfax, for example, shows the cost of raising a calf has increased by 30% over the last five years.

Consumers, moreover, are a key part of the cattle production cycle. Without them, retail shelves will get backed up, packers will slow down, feedlots will remain full and calf prices will drop, which will hamper herd expansion. However, as individuals continue to support Canadian beef, their dollars are trickling down to cow/calf producers, who will expand their herds, increasing the amount of available beef and eventually lower the cost for consumers.

When a consumer picks a Canadian ribeye, striploin, flank steak, ox tail, Thor's hammer, or a brisket for the smoker or the slow cooker, it supports Canadian beef producers. To all the Canadian consumers, THANK YOU for supporting Canadian beef and enjoy this BBQ season!

Answer to the previous trivia question: The West Texas Intermediate futures contract was introduced in 1983.

Today’s trivia question: Who invented the meat grinder?