Beef prices reach record highs in Canada
CTV
The cost of beef continues to rise, reaching record highs on grocery store shelves ahead of the busiest time for many grocers and butchers before the holiday season.
The cost of beef continues to rise, reaching record highs on grocery store shelves ahead of the busiest time for many grocers and butchers before the holiday season.
One kilogram of ground beef is now averaging at $13 compared to $10 in 2020. A sirloin steak is averaging around $22, compared to under $16 in 2016, according to Statistics Canada.
Joel Orlik, owner of Wellington Butchery in Ottawa's west end, says saw the rises coming and ordered his cuts ahead of time. Even though he doesn't want to scare customers away, he knows where the market is at.
"We charge what we think we have to charge, but we're always cognizant of the fact that we're also the community store." he said.
Orlik considers Wellington Butchery a fine craft butcher but says over the years, the price difference isn't far off that of retail grocers.
"The grocery stores have been actually catching up to me on price. When they're selling something similar to our quality, they're not far off," said Orlik.
The beef market has seen other setbacks in the past, including mad cow disease 20 years ago and the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw cattle ranchers sell off most of their herds.
