Why are brisket prices rising in Texas?

Why has the price of brisket skyrocketed over the past ten years? "Because everyone likes it!" says David Anderson, a Livestock and Food Product Marketing Professor at Texas A&M.

Once considered a cheaper cut of meat, brisket has now become somewhat of a luxury for buyers and pitmasters alike. "[Brisket] went from something that was really cheap, to being roughly the third most expensive kind of primal cut behind the the loin and and the rib," Anderson adds.

High demand and costs of cattle production have been major driving factors

Another factor that's impacted brisket pricing? The cost of cattle production.

"2022 was our record large beef production year. However, we're producing less now." According Anderson, while the costs of purchasing cattle still remain relatively low, the costs of producing said cattle have increased steadily year after year. So what does that mean?