Statewide Iowa (RI) — With the forecast calling for highs in the upper 80s and low 90s across Iowa Wednesday, it’s starting to feel like summertime, and many Iowans are firing up their backyard grills.
Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says despite higher prices at the grocery store, beef is the centerpiece for most Iowa cookouts, though poultry and pork prices are beginning to catch up.
Supermarkets stocked up on meats for grilling just before the Memorial Day holiday, and any products that went unsold are likely now on sale.
Despite the prices, Nelson says consumers are eating more meat than ever before.
The USDA is forecasting a rise in U.S. consumption of beef, pork, and chicken in 2026.
