Texas Wildfire Devastates Cattle Country, Beef Prices Skyrocket
A devastating wildfire ravages parts of the Texas Panhandle, home to more than 85% of the state's cattle herd. This comes when the nation's cattle herd has collapsed to a seven-decade low, pushing up retail beef prices at the supermarket to record high levels.
Texas A&M Forest Service said the wildfire, called Smokehouse Creek fire, has scorched more than 850,000 acres (344,000 hectares) of grasslands as of Wednesday.
Reuters spoke with state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who warned the wildfire has likely killed tens of thousands of livestock and destroyed grain in storage bins.
"It's almost like gasoline when it goes up," Miller said, adding, "We have now lost over a million acres.
Massive wildfires burning in the Texas Panhandle sent cattle fleeing from the smoke. https://t.co/5PrXIHBO85 pic.twitter.com/RP62inDfKO
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 28, 2024
Miller said the wildfire rages in the Panhandle area, where 85% of the state's herd is located. It's important to note that Texas is the top cattle producer in the nation. He said cattle in feedlots and dairies are safe.
"Feed supplies are scarce for surviving cattle because the fire destroyed grazing lands and bins holding crops like wheat and corn," he said.
Miller continued: "There's absolutely zero vegetation. The cattle that do survive, they have absolutely nothing to eat."
Readers have been well informed about 'beeflation' and why it's happening:
- Dwindling US Cattle Herd Implies Supermarket Beef Prices May Rise Even More
- Hamburger Prices Might Continue To Rise As US Cattle Herd Shrinks
- US Cattle Prices Hit Nine-Year High As National Herd Drops To Half-Century Low
- US Beef Prices Hit Record High As Nation's Cattle Herd Expected To Shrink Through 2025
- US Cattle Herd At 73-Year Lows As Retail Beef Prices At Record Highs
The latest data from the US Department of Agriculture's biannual cattle inventory report earlier this month showed that the US cattle herd (as of Jan. 1) fell 2% from a year ago to 87.2 million cattle. That's the smallest herd count since 1951.
A shrinking herd has pushed US retail beef prices to a record of $5.35 per pound. And prices could go much higher.
In a separate interview with Bloomberg, Miller said: "I know ranchers up there — families that have had these ranchers for more than 100 years — everything is gone."
Meanwhile, elites in the WEF cult have been pushing hard to ban cow farts because they allege it's contributing to climate change. These folks are adamant about resetting the global food supply chain to one that puts working poor folks on a bug-heavy diet.
We, the people, will not eat bugs.
The Significance Behind The Texas Fires
- This Is Another Blow To Our Supply Chain
- Where The Fires Happened Is Where 88% Of Texas Cattle Feed
- The US Is Already Down Roughly 1 Billion Pounds Of American Beef
- These Fires Are Another Win For Foreign ImportsIs it another… pic.twitter.com/HrF6XuVMnk
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 29, 2024
Now, more than ever, Americans must break out of the food industrial complex and start their own farms or simply buy from local mom-and-pop farms.
This article originally appeared on Zero Hedge
