2026 Broiler and egg outlook: Soaring demand for protein, high beef prices underpin sector outlook

In looking ahead to 2026, shifting consumer preferences toward protein‑rich foods are creating new opportunities for broiler and egg producers. Strong demand—and higher prices for other meats (namely beef) —is pushing more consumers toward chicken, meaning additional production will be needed. In this year’s broiler and egg outlook, we break down what this means for pricing and production in the months ahead.

Would you like the chicken or the beef?
It’s 5:15 p.m. on a Tuesday night, somewhere between work, school, and kids’ dance class. Supper needs to be quick, so you grab a fajita kit out of the pantry. But what meat to use with the kit – chicken breast or ground beef? Taste preferences aside, if you were looking to stretch your dollar, frying up ground beef would have been the more cost-friendly choice historically. That is no longer the case.

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