Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued an urgent call to action to protect a vital part of Texan culture and tradition: Barbecue.
A wave of restaurant closures and operational challenges is sweeping across Texas, Miller said in a statement.
These challenges are driven by record-high beef prices, a national cattle herd at its lowest level in 75 years, persistent inflationary pressures and a resulting softening of consumer demand, according to the statement.
Industry observations and local reports highlight longtime smokehouses either closing or significantly scaling back, as pitmasters grapple with squeezed margins amid rising input costs and reduced customer traffic, according to the statement.
“We must find ways to lower beef prices without harming ranchers’ livelihoods, ensuring Texas barbecue remains vibrant and accessible,” Miller said in the statement. “This is why I’m calling for an America First beef policy to rebuild our national cattle herd. We need to better incentivize ranchers to retain breeding stock, further expand grazing access, strengthen market transparency, and implement Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling to restore consumer trust.”
As beef prices rise, they affect not only businesses but also the entire Texan community, from backyard pitmasters to families visiting a local barbecue spot.
“Rising costs and stifled demand driven by high prices for quality beef are putting Texas barbecue businesses and backyard pitmasters at risk,” Miller stated. “Many small-town staples are already on the brink, with closures mounting over the past year. If this is a sign of things to come, we must act now.”
Miller emphasized that the current low cattle inventory signals a potential demand collapse for quality beef if unaddressed.
“We cannot ignore this warning sign,” Miller said. “I vow to fight for the entire supply chain, from the ranch to the smoker to the dinner table and take decisive steps now to preserve Texas as the undisputed barbecue capital of the world.”