Sid Miller warns high beef prices and low cattle herds threaten Texas barbecue, urging an “America First” beef policy to protect pitmasters and families.
HOUSTON — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is sounding the alarm on something Texans hold sacred: barbecue. He says a perfect storm of record-high beef prices, the smallest national cattle herd in 75 years, persistent inflation and softening consumer demand is putting serious heat on the state’s pitmasters and brisket lovers alike.
Earlier this month, in an effort to lower beef prices, President Donald Trump struck a temporary deal to increase imports from Argentina.
According to Miller, longtime smokehouses across Texas — from small towns to big cities — are either shutting down or scaling back as rising input costs collide with fewer customers walking through the door.
“We’re to that point now. Just like these barbecue restaurants, you know, customers are dwindling because they have to charge so much for a plate,” Miller said.
Backyard pitmasters, he notes, feel the pinch too, as high beef prices turn a casual cookout into a budget-busting splurge.
“We must find ways to lower beef prices without harming ranchers’ livelihoods, ensuring Texas barbecue remains vibrant and accessible,” Miller said. To get there, he’s calling for an “America First” beef policy aimed at rebuilding the national cattle herd. His priorities include better incentives for ranchers to retain breeding stock, expanded grazing access, stronger market transparency and Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling to restore consumer trust.
For Miller, the stakes are bigger than what’s on the plate. Texas barbecue, he argues, is a pillar of Texas heritage and pride, built on generations of family traditions, small businesses and vital jobs in both rural and urban communities. But brisket plate prices, he warns, have drifted into “luxury” territory, pushing too many Texas families away from their local favorites and turning what used to be a Saturday staple into an occasional splurge.
“Rising costs and stifled demand driven by high prices for quality beef are putting Texas barbecue businesses and backyard pitmasters at risk,” Miller said, adding that many small-town staples are already on the brink, with closures mounting over the past year. “If this is a sign of things to come, we must act now.”
Miller also points to the historically low cattle inventory as a red flag for what could come next. If the problem isn’t addressed, he warns, Texas could see a broader collapse in demand for quality beef. “We cannot ignore this warning sign,” he said, vowing to fight “for the entire supply chain, from the ranch to the smoker to the dinner table” and to take decisive steps to keep Texas the undisputed barbecue capital of the world.
The issue hits home for those who rely on the industry to make ends meet.
“I’m worried they’re going to try bringing the price of beef down in the grocery store. And that’s going to bring the price of calves or price beef down to the producer. The cattle prices are really at a point right now. If they could stay there, more kids would want to stay home and raise cattle,” rancher Travis Meckel said.
He said store-bought meat costs more than buying locally.
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