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Growing demand for tallow adding to overall carcass value

An ag economist says the growing demand for edible or inedible tallow, grease, and lard is adding value to cattle and hogs. David Anderson, professor and extension economist – livestock and food product marketing with Texas A&M University, says, “Prices are going up.”  He says there are multiple markets for these byproducts.

“It’s not just the interest in cooking French fries with tallow,” he says. “There’s also the renewable fuel space where we’re using more of these things, where they’re using the used cooking oil.”

Anderson tells Brownfield that as fed cattle weights continue to rise, more are grading yield grade 4 and 5, which results in a discount. “But now that fat is worth more than it used to be, so it helps offset the downside of heavier and heavier cattle,” he says. 

Last month, edible tallow delivered to Chicago brought $58 per cwt, compared to $49 per cwt in 2024.  Anderson says that a decade ago, edible tallow was priced around $30 per cwt.

AUDIO: David Anderson, Texas A&M University