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Speaking at the BMO Global Farm to Market Conference in New York, Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King said the U.S. cattle industry appears to be in the early stages of a rebuilding cycle, with the national herd size hovering near 70-year lows.

In response to alarmingly low herd levels pushing cattle futures in Chicago to record highs, King noted Tyson plans to ramp up chicken production. Chicken is viewed as an affordable alternative to beef, making it increasingly attractive to cost-conscious consumers. 

“We’ve got more opportunity to grow,” King told industry insiders and investors at the market conference, adding the company is looking to work its assets “a little harder.”

King said Tyson will expand chicken production to meet growing demand as a more affordable alternative to beef. 

The cattle shortage, plus new developments this week of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shutting down live cattle, horse, and bison imports from southern border land ports, sent cattle futures in Chicago to fresh record highs earlier this week. 

King expects chicken demand to remain robust through the second half of this year into 2026. This will help the U.S. largest meat processor to offset sagging beef profits amid one of the worst cattle shortages in a generation. 

King reiterated his call, first mentioned on Monday in an earnings call, about emerging signs ranchers are in the early innings of rebuilding depleted herds. He cautioned that such an effort could take at least two years. 

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 X account reposted a video from Fox News that interviewed a rancher who warned, “it’s going to take time to rebuild” the nation’s herd. 

5th Generation Cattle Rancher Steve Lucie: I think at this point, we should be all-in on what’s happening… We have the lowest beef herd that we’ve had since 1950 and that’s because so many people have gotten out of the industry. If we could’ve exported more of our beef, I don’t… pic.twitter.com/Hmkq30KmYa

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2025

The question on our minds: Will the cattle shortage actually worsen in the second half of the year and into 2026? The rebuilding cycle takes time, which likely means higher beef prices and potential supply constraints—think back to the brief egg shortage. 

At ZeroHedge, we’re not waiting around to find out.

We’ve launched a “Rancher-Direct” e-commerce platform to secure access to clean, American-raised beef sourced from independent ranchers across the country.

It’s about planning ahead in uncertain times. Relying on multinational supermarket chains for clean, reliable food has become a major issue over the years. The smarter path forward is building direct relationships with local ranchers—knowing where your food comes from and securing that connection before the next supply chain crunch hits.