Anyone firing up the grill this summer already knows hamburgers and steaks are expensive, but the latest numbers show prices have climbed to record highs. And experts say consumers shouldn't expect much relief soon either. According to U.S. government data, the average price of a pound of ground beef rose to $6.12 in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose 8% to $11.49 per pound. But this is not a recent phenomenon. Beef prices have been steadily rising over the past 20 years because the supply of cattle remains tight while beef remains popular. That's not likely to change.

As the U.S. dairy industry confronts an outbreak of bird flu, the egg industry serves as an example of how to slow the spread of the disease but also how difficult it can be to completely eradicate the problem. In the decade since the first major bird flu outbreak, the disease has forced the slaughter of nearly 100 million chickens and turkeys. Outbreaks still occur, but their frequency has dropped dramatically since peaks several years ago in large part because of biosecurity efforts at farms and a coordinated approach between companies and agricultural officials. Some of those efforts can be repeated with dairy cows, but there are vast differences between the industries that limit what lessons can be learned.

MAXWELL, Iowa (AP) — Sudden meat shortages last year because of the coronavirus led to millions of dollars in federal grants to help small mea…