For the past year, the drumbeat across cattle country has been lower herd numbers, market fluctuations and rising input costs. Total beef supply tightened by 3%, and beef retail prices climbed to an average of $8 per pound (lb.). Yet consumer demand for beef surged to a 40-year high.

Despite the challenges, Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB) sales reached 1.235 billion lb. globally, marking it one of the brand’s strongest years in history.

“The brand’s success this year is the direct result of the hard work and innovation across our entire beef community,” says John Stika, CAB president. “It’s their intentional efforts to win with Certified Angus Beef year in and year out that have allowed this brand to thrive over 47 years.”

Today’s market is complex and competitive. Stika says the collective efforts of stakeholders across the supply chain well position the brand to meet the record demand for premium beef moving forward.

Supplying the brand

Amidst the tightest brand supply in five years, the 2025 fiscal year was down 2.9% over last year’s record number of certified carcasses. Still, cattlemen and women produced 5.77 million certified carcasses. Brand acceptance rates hit an annual average of a 37.6% acceptance rate, with 12 weeks reaching record highs of 40% or more throughout the year.

Angus producers’ focus on quality led to more than 783,000 carcasses, a 3.6% growth, qualifying for CAB Prime, setting a new benchmark for the brand’s highest quality offering.

“Our brand partners are sending a very loud, economic signal back to cattle country,” Stika says. “Ranchers are more focused on quality than ever before.”

Meeting consumer demand

This year marks the brand’s third-best year, with a record-setting month in November and the brand’s all-time best sales month in March. April and May followed with strength heading into grilling season, landing in the brand’s top 10 for monthly sales. Consumer preference for the best beef supported record sales of CAB Prime across all segments of the business­ — retail, foodservice, international and value-added — collectively increasing 9.7% to 55 million lb. sold.

“Our brand partners are sending a very loud, economic signal back to cattle country. Ranchers are more focused on quality than ever before.” — John Stika

Diners enjoyed CAB brand offerings from fine-dining restaurants to barbecue establishments and burger joints, where foodservice partners sold more than 417 million lb., marking the second-best year in the brand’s history for foodservice sales. Sales in March recorded a record with 40.3 million lb. sold in a single month. Growth was fueled by middle meat sales increasing 3.3%; end meats increasing 8% and setting a record; and CAB Prime up 9%.

In the meat aisle, shoppers reached for premium beef cuts, ground beef and value-added products. Despite higher beef prices, the retail sector sold 525.8 million lb., with nine out of the brand’s top 10 retail partners experiencing growth. More retailers offered premium grinds to their shoppers, increasing ground beef sales collectively by 6%. CAB Prime grew by 5.6% or 22.3 million lb.

In retail, international and foodservice, convenient and globally flavored cuts drove a 9.7% growth for CAB brand value-added products like deli meats, hot pot beef rolls and shaved steak. This marks the fifth consecutive year of growth in the brand’s value-added sector, illustrating the need for premium, great-tasting products for time-crunched consumers and chefs. New brand research shows 85% of CAB shoppers are willing to pay more for CAB and CAB Prime deli meats and 80% would drive farther to purchase them.

Despite international trade dynamics and loss of access in key markets like China, brand partners had record sales in areas like Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru and Panama, resulting in 179 million lb. sold across more than 55 countries. Canada, South Korea and Mexico were the brand’s leading international markets for sales. CAB Prime was also in high demand, showing a 20.6% increase. Again, proving the commitment to quality is a global movement.

With an expanded portfolio of products, CAB continues to deliver on consumer choice worldwide. While small in scale,CAB Grass-Fed; CAB Natural; and CAB Ranch to Table accounted for more than 3.2 million lb. collectively, reaching consumers looking for great-tasting niche beef products.

“Tight supply will intensify over the next year, and we’ll have to work through those dynamics,” Stika says. “But the value proposition for Certified Angus Beef is strong and only strengthening in the market.”

Signals across the beef industry are clear. Despite anticipated challenges from tight cattle supplies, Angus farmers and ranchers seeking high-quality genetics that deliver premium beef are producing a product in high demand.