Boxed beef prices are surging more than usual this year amid tight cattle supplies, according to a Mississippi State University economist.
“Boxed beef values tend to build gradually through the first quarter before accelerating in the spring and reaching a seasonal peak ahead of summer grilling season. In 2026, the cutout has surged earlier in the year as cyclical market fundamentals are outweighing typical seasonality,” economist Josh Maples says in an analysis posted by Southern Ag Today.
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The Choice boxed beef cutout exceeded $400 per hundredweight last week, an increase of $50 since the beginning of the year, and the highest level since September 2025.
The Choice cutout value is the estimated gross wholesale value of a USDA Choice-grade carcass.
The Select cutout is at its highest level since May 2020, Maples writes.
