Demand for beef has increased over the last couple of years, said Dr. Levi Russell, AgriLife Extension economist, Corpus Christi.

“This is a good thing,” Russell said. “The last time we saw a significant increase was when the Atkins diet was popular.”

“We’ve already seen a substantial increase in price over 2013 and it appears we will continue Nationwide average feeder cattle prices are projected to top $185 per hundredweight in 2015, according to Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute data, Russell said.

“Retail beef is at an all-time high and people are continuing to pay a lot of money for beef,” he said.

Russell discussed beef outlook during the recent Upper Gulf Coast Ranch Expo in Fort Bend County.