Social Engineering and Manipulation.
If there was an actual problem, the price of beef would skyrocket, and a quarter pound of beef would cost $250 and you wouldn’t eat hamburgers anymore.
But, since there isn’t a problem, and beef is relatively affordable, the Powerful People need to get you to change your eating habits, because it makes them feel good to get the little people to do stupid stuff.
The price will rise soon enough like it did for ammo and lumber and will again for gas.