US beef prices hit a record $9.64 per pound as the national cattle herd shrinks to its smallest since 1951, squeezed by drought and screwworm outbreaks.

The screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite and longtime foe of American ranchers, is back in US cattle after decades.

US beef prices hit a record $9.64 per pound as the national cattle herd shrinks to its smallest since 1951, squeezed by drought and screwworm outbreaks.