In today’s beef buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays dives into the latest meat demand trends with Dr. Glynn Tonsor, professor at Kansas State University and lead researcher for the Meat Demand Monitor. As we navigate the early months of 2026, Dr. Tonsor breaks down recent shifts in consumer behavior and what a lengthening grilling season could mean for the retail sector.
Funded by the beef and pork checkoffs, the Meat Demand Monitor tracks how the American public values protein. In their recent discussion, Dr. Tonsor explained that while the long-term trend has been strong, February showed some specific changes in the domestic market.
On Recent Market Shifts
“In February, retail—so think grocery store for at-home consumption—willingness to pay in the retail channel was down for seven of the eight categories we tracked. So pretty much across the board, we had some softening in the domestic retail channel.”
“We saw some tightening of the wallet in the February numbers… Now some context is important. We’ve had a pretty good run; those kind of month-over-month and even year-over-year statements are relative to higher numbers. So I don’t think like the sky is falling.”
On the Impact of Grilling Season
Dr. Tonsor suggests that weather patterns in the southern plains may provide a much-needed spark for the industry as spring approaches:
“We may be firing the grills up a little bit earlier than we thought, and that is good for meat demand in general.”
“The demand, so the willingness to pay, how much they’re going to value it and how much they chase those pounds in the market? 100% yes… potentially that gets magnified here in 2026 if we have an extended growing season.”
On Consumer Priorities
When surveying over 3,000 people monthly, Dr. Tonsor uses a “forced rank exercise” to determine what actually drives a purchase at the meat counter:
“We regularly find taste and freshness lead the decision. Safety and price are like third and fourth. But I want to emphasize taste and freshness are regularly the first two things.”
“Beef has benefited from that improvement because it aligns with the fact that the US public prioritizes taste.”
On the Prevalence of Meat Consumption
Despite various dietary trends, Dr. Tonsor’s data confirms that the vast majority of Americans remain dedicated protein consumers:
“In February of ‘26, 79% told us, I’m a regular consumer of animal products. And that might sound low, but it’s actually a very high number, because on top of that, you have an additional, you know, 10% that are flexitarians.”
“The 90% is probably an underestimate on the prevalence of meat consumption in our country. We are very much a meat consuming country. That’s not a new statement, but the data of February drove that home again.”
According to Dr. Tonsor, the Meat Demand Monitor continues to highlight several key pillars regarding the current state of the U.S. protein market:
- Retail vs. Food Service: While the retail channel has remained strong, food service has shown relative weakness for approximately 18 months.
- Quality Alignment: The industry’s shift toward upper choice and prime beef aligns directly with the consumer’s top priority: taste.
- The “Flexitarian” Factor: Beyond the core meat eaters, a significant portion of the population identifies as flexitarian, maintaining meat as a staple of their diet.
- Demand vs. Consumption: Understanding that demand is the “willingness to pay” is critical during long biological production cycles where supply cannot be increased overnight.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR above for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
