U.S. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union deal with on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Pictures
President Donald Trump stated in his State of the Union speech Tuesday evening that his administration’s insurance policies have been “quickly ending” excessive costs for sure meals, together with proteins within the U.S. food plan, like beef, hen and eggs.
Nonetheless, costs for hen and beef have elevated since Trump took workplace in January 2025.
Egg costs have certainly fallen considerably — however, like beef costs, have been influenced extra by provide and demand components particular to these markets than federal coverage, in keeping with agricultural economists.
The value strikes additionally come because the Trump administration stated it was “ending the battle on protein” by asserting new U.S. vitamin pointers that emphasize protein, full-fat dairy and greens.
“President Trump is correct: inflation has cooled, and costs of many on a regular basis necessities have fallen or are on the precise trajectory,” White Home spokesman Kush Desai stated in an emailed assertion. “All the Administration stays laser-focused on delivering financial reduction for the American individuals.”
Beef costs have elevated throughout Trump’s second time period
Trump stated throughout his State of the Union deal with that beef costs are “beginning to come down considerably.”
Federal information reveals that beef costs have began to say no in some instances, however stay close to multiyear or report highs.
Floor beef value $6.75 per pound, on common, in January — the best degree on report, in keeping with information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Costs have elevated 22% over the previous yr, from $5.55 per pound in January 2025, when Trump began his second time period. That is the quickest annual inflation charge since June 2020, throughout Trump’s first time period in workplace.
Costs for different cuts of beef are additionally elevated, in keeping with federal information.
For instance, the value of raw beef steaks was $12.30 per pound, on common, in January, down barely from an all-time excessive of $12.51 per pound in December, in keeping with Bureau of Labor Statistics information. Costs are up 13% over the previous yr.
Raw beef roasts value $8.82 per pound, on common, in January, down from a report excessive of $9.29 per pound in November. Common costs are up 14% previously yr.
Beef costs are “nonetheless up considerably” over the previous yr, stated Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist on the Wells Fargo Agri-Meals Institute.
A current decline in costs is “very poor comfort for most individuals,” Swanson stated.
Why beef costs are greater
At a excessive degree, beef costs have elevated as a result of decrease cattle provide and elevated demand amongst U.S. households, in keeping with agricultural economists.
It is a “double whammy,” stated Charley Martinez, an assistant professor and director of the Division of Agricultural and Useful resource Economics on the College of Tennessee.
On the availability aspect, the stock of U.S. cattle is at its lowest in many years, in keeping with federal information.
There have been 27.6 million beef cows within the U.S. as of Jan. 1, in keeping with the U.S. Division of Agriculture. That is the lowest provide of those cows — that are earmarked for the meat market — since 1961, in keeping with USDA historic information tracked by Martinez.
There have been about 86.2 million total U.S. cattle — together with different varieties like these for milk manufacturing — as of Jan. 1, the bottom tally since 1951, in keeping with USDA information.
Many components have contributed to the putting decline within the U.S. cattle herd, Bernt Nelson, an economist on the American Farm Bureau Federation, a commerce group, wrote in October.
Persistent drought has prompted “deteriorating” pasture situations for cows, Nelson wrote.
Good pasture situations decrease prices to lift cattle, whereas poor situations pressure farmers and ranchers to ship in hay from different elements of the nation, contributing to report prices to lift and feed cattle, he stated. Consequently, many farmers offered off feminine cows slightly than maintaining them to provide calves, he stated.
“It is arduous to provide extra beef while you lack the cattle to do this,” stated Amy Smith, a meals economist at Superior Financial Options.
It additionally takes a very long time, about three years, to breed cows for the meat market, she stated.
In the meantime, demand for beef amongst U.S. households has elevated at the same time as costs have risen, economists stated.
The Retail All Contemporary Beef Demand Index in 2025 touched its highest ranges since at the very least 2000, Martinez stated of USDA information.
“Covid-19 and the entire pandemic drove lots of new demand,” Martinez stated. “Everybody turned yard grilling heroes. …There’s been this variation within the style and choice for beef that we have by no means seen earlier than.”
Economists stated they do not consider beef costs will proceed to fall within the close to time period as a result of provide and demand dynamics within the beef market.
The Trump administration has sought to spice up provide by means of insurance policies that incentivize beef imports from nations corresponding to Argentina. Imports have been already at report highs in 2025, in keeping with Nelson of the farm bureau.
Nonetheless, such market interventions have the “unintended consequence” of decreasing costs paid to U.S. cattle farmers, Nelson wrote.
Elevated imports “would add one other barrier to rising the cattle herd and probably incentivize extra contraction within the cattle stock,” he wrote. “This might drive beef costs even greater and enhance U.S. reliance on imported beef to fulfill home demand.”
Why egg costs have declined
Trump stated Tuesday that the value of eggs is down 60%.
That determine is in step with Bureau of Labor Statistics information, which reveals the typical value for a dozen massive Grade A eggs has declined about 59% from March 2025 to $2.58 per dozen in January, from a report excessive of $6.23 per dozen.
Costs are down 48% from January 2025, once they have been $4.95 per dozen.
A lot of that decline is a reversion to extra typical costs following a provide shock triggered by a historic outbreak of hen flu, in keeping with economists.
“We’re seeing exceptional drops [in price] from astounding highs,” stated Swanson of the Wells Fargo Agri-Meals Institute.
“Extremely pathogenic avian influenza,” extra generally generally known as hen flu, propelled egg costs to dizzying highs in late 2024 and early 2025, economists stated.
The illness is extremely contagious and deadly for birds, together with chickens on business egg farms. To stop unfold, farmers should kill their complete flock in the event that they detect a case, economists stated.
In all, tens of tens of millions of egg-laying chickens died. For instance, greater than 38 million business egg-laying birds died in 2024, in keeping with USDA information tracked by the College of Arkansas. Over 20 million extra died in early 2025.
Since 2022, when the outbreak started, the U.S. has misplaced greater than 140 million egg-laying chickens, stated Smith of Superior Financial Options.
“You simply cannot rebound rapidly from that,” she stated.
Whereas the illness hasn’t disappeared, it up to now hasn’t been “practically as impactful” in late 2025 and into 2026, Smith stated.
Shopper demand has additionally seemingly fallen as costs surged, serving to to ease costs on the grocery retailer, she stated. Costs might rise over the subsequent a number of weeks because the Easter vacation approaches, which is just like the Tremendous Bowl for the egg trade, she stated.
Rooster costs
Trump additionally stated Tuesday that the price of hen is “decrease in the present day than after I took workplace by rather a lot.”
Nonetheless, common costs for hen are up about 1% over the previous yr, in keeping with the shopper value index. Shoppers paid $4.17 per pound of boneless hen breast in January, on common, up from $3.97 per pound a yr earlier, in keeping with BLS information.
Chicken flu hasn’t had as important an impression on chickens raised for meat consumption as for chickens raised for egg manufacturing, economists stated.