Meat off the menu as prices soar

Many Aussies are having to forgo meat on the dinner table as the price for the perfect cut continues to soar.

Exports and the drought have beefed up prices making it a luxury item for many families.

"Sometimes you have to do without," shopper John Lee told 9NEWS.

Over the past five years, the price of beef and veal has gone up 24 percent and lamb 20 percent while other meats have risen as much as 14 percent.

The drought is to blame, decimating the country's stock and pushing up prices.

"Supply will be tight, and I would expect prices to remain really where they are for the rest of 2018," Lisa Sharp from Meat and Livestock Australia said.

It's forced butcher Jason Gregory of Jace and Lee's Bargain Butcher in Brisbane's west to rethink what they stock.

"It's been a really big struggle. With a lot of the prices going up, people can't afford the usual stuff they get," Jason said.

"We've created meat packs ranging $35 up to $165. It's a bulk buy, you get seven kilos of meat and probably cost you 40 bucks. And that'll feed a family of four for a week."

But you don't have to sacrifice your favourite cut.

Butcher Billy Gibney from Ashgrove's Meat At Billy's said it's all about buying whole cuts.

"You'll always save if you buy the whole cut. Take this whole rump for instance. You're gonna get three different types of meat, for three different meals, and overall you're gonna save about $50."

Other options for those on a budget include pork, stir-fry beef, mince and chicken.

But there may be some relief on the horizon. Heavy rain and flooding in North West Queensland will eventually lead to more cattle produced and hopefully lead to cheaper prices at the checkout.

But that could be years away as graziers struggle to restock says AgForce's Renata Berglas.

"It will take some time for those cattle to get back on station. Hopefully we'll look at heard being up to its normal five-year average by 2020 - 2021."

That's if growing international demand for our most coveted cuts, don't make mincemeat of any savings.

"Australian beef is highly valued and that will ultimately have an impact on the prices paid," Ms Sharp told 9NEWS.

Shoppers may have to "trim" back or simply get used to the beefy prices.

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