30 Days After Increased Beef Imports, US Ranchers Are Getting Paid Less for Cattle

One month after President Donald Trump announced the country would import more ground beef to lower consumer prices, supermarket beef prices have barely dropped, according to a new analysis. Some American farmers and ranchers, however, are being paid much less for their cattle.

The farmer advocacy group Farm Action released the analysis, which looked at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) price data for the 30 days after the imports of cheaper beef began.

During that time, the average retail price of ground beef decreased about 2 percent, by 13 cents per pound, from $6.92 to $6.79. At the same time, prices paid for to U.S. beef producers for two categories of cows sold into the ground beef market dropped 12.2 and 13.9 percent.

“The first 30 days raise serious questions about whether this policy is actually delivering on its promises,” Sarah Carden, senior director of research and policy at Farm Action, said in a press release. “Ranchers are seeing steep declines in the prices they receive, and consumers still haven’t seen clear, meaningful relief at the grocery store.”

Many factors influence beef prices, which fluctuate seasonally. But in an email, Carden said the import policy appears to be a major factor driving the lower cattle prices.