Respected US meat and livestock economist Derrell Peel chews the fat this week with Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan.

Prof Peel, extension specialist for livestock marketing at Oklahoma State University, works in all areas of US livestock production economics and marketing for all beef cattle production sectors. Additionally he works on US meat demand and meat supply chain issues, beef product marketing and international cattle and beef trade.

Among other topics, the pair discuss:

US cattle prices and domestic production heading into 2026
Domestic beef demand
Beef packer numbers being cut
The impact on supply from Trump's tariffs on beef imports
Brazilian beef imports
US beef exports to China
Where Australia fits in the US picture. Are there more opportunities for prime chilled beef in the US, as well as hamburger beef?
The US experiment in the Wagyu market
The US farm bill

Derrell focusses on declining US cattle numbers and levels of beef production, but higher carcase weights.

With a surplus of grain and the price of grain continuing to fall, some US cattle are now being fed for 190-200 days. But it appears US cattle are getting fatter rather than producing more lean beef.

In fact, further to the typical ongoing issues of BRD in the feedlot, a new trend is seeing a growing number of cattle dying of cardiovascular disease shortly before their scheduled exit from the feedlot, posing the question: Are US cattle now obese?

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