Will wildfires have an impact on beef prices at the grocery store? Depends on who you ask.

It’s estimated that tens of thousands of cows have died in the Panhandle wildfires. While some people don’t think this will have a big impact on meat prices at the grocery store, others like Dr. Rick Avery with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service say it will.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension economist Dr. David Anderson says it may be weeks before there are estimates for lost cattle, but he expects the impact of the wildfires to be localized. He adds that the impact to cattle or beef prices won’t be as drastic because of the numbers and scale of the entire market.