Where's The Beef????

With inflation rising the highest it has in decades the price of meat in the grocery stores has risen massively.

The meat product which has risen the most in the grocery stores - on a percentage basis according to Statistics Canada - is the price of beef.

Prices seem to be astronomical for consumers at the retail level but at the same time the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) is calling for both the Federal and Provincial governments to review beef and cattle pricing as producers are they claim not receiving their fair share.

As beef hits record prices in the grocery store the people who raised the animal are in many cases operating with a thin profit or even a loss.

Cut beef inside a Moose Jaw store - MJ Independent file photo

Is the SSGA correct or is it all a bunch of cow manure?

To find out MJ Independent has done some research and we present to you some of what is happening in the beef industry both here and in the United States.

We also looked at some of the financial factors consumers are facing in an inflation backgrounder.

It is a world where there has been major consolidation in the meat packing industry. Consolidation which is suppose to render cheaper per unit processing costs which can then be passed on to consumers.

But given the price for beef at the retail level the question needs to be asked is it?

We approached all of the players and were able to get comment where we could.

Some never returned our calls. While others promised to get back to us but ultimately in the end did not.

We leave it up to out readers to judge the reasons for their lack of participation.

Look for this seven part series launching soon in MJ Independent.