As egg prices begin to fall from the eye-popping heights seen in recent weeks, consumers can expect to feel the pinch in their wallets when paying for another staple protein: beef.

The price of cow meat is projected to rise this year, as America’s cattle stock plummets. The total number of cattle in America was down by 3 percent versus the past year, according to a new report from the Department of Agriculture. In particular, there are 4 percent fewer beef cows.

The total cow inventory stands at 89.3 million, and about a third — 28.9 million — produce beef.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the cattle population of America has declined. Business Insider reports this is the smallest cattle population America has seen since the Department of Agriculture began taking inventory in 1962.

Consumers need not worry about dairy products. Milk cows bucked the overall trend among cattle, with their population increasing in 2022.

While carnivores mourn rising prices, the news could come as a potential saving grace for the struggling plant-based meat industry. Beyond Meat’s stock, though, has not shown any significant changes since the report’s release.

It’s not all doom and gloom for keto dieters and other high-protein consumers.

A report from the Department of Agriculture finds that egg prices are falling as consumer demand weakens. The wholesale price per carton apparently peaked last month after an avian flu outbreak that took nearly 50 million birds out of circulation.

The national inventory of shell eggs increased by 2.5 percent over the past week, which has lowered the cost for wholesale purchases. In New York, the average wholesale cost for a carton of eggs fell 23 cents this week, to $3.13 a carton. 

Retailers, however, are still “working to stabilize pricing,” the USDA said in its report, so consumers may be waiting before they find themselves comfortable with egg prices once again.