Dry Winter Blamed For Rising Beef Prices

STOCKTON (CBS13) If you've shopped for fresh beef lately, you may have noticed prices are rising..

Prices hit a record high of $5 a pound in December, and analysts say they will probably go up another 5 to 8 percent higher this year.

Mother Nature may be to blame.

Ranchers tell us this time of year grass should not be brown and brittle, but the lack of rain has dried up some cattle pastures, making it difficult for livestock to get the feed they need.

"It's one of the driest seasons that I've lived on the ranch since 1949," said rancher Roma Orvis.

Because there's no grass on the ground ranchers are being forced to pay big bucks for hay. Dry weather caused alfalfa prices to soar.

"We've bought about $18,000 worth of hay in the last month and a half because you have to feed the cows," Orvis said.

Some ranchers who can't afford feed costs are selling slimmer cattle, but the good news is cattle prices are stable so those selling early are breaking even instead of loosing out.

But some meat market butchers say short supply of beef is driving prices sky high -- in some cases a$1.50 a pound more than previous months..

"Beef prices are just too high and middle class people aren't spending extra money for a nice, fat steak because it's $15 or $20," butcher George Lucas said.

Markets simply can't offer specials like they could before, and budget customers are steering clear of beef and moving toward chicken or pork.