Congress members question USDA beef plan

A group of Congress members sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on Oct. 29 to express concern over the plan to expand Argentine beef imports in the United States.

“While we share the administration’s goal of lowering costs for consumers, we are concerned that granting additional market access to Argentina — already one of our largest beef suppliers — will undermine American cattle producers, weaken our position in ongoing trade negotiations and reintroduce avoidable animal-health risks,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter.

Last month, President Donald Trump suggested increasing Argentine beef imports as a solution to the escalating US beef prices.

This suggestion has since sparked several discussions amongst stakeholders. Groups like the US Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) have cautioned against the government’s potential intervention in beef markets.

“When policymakers hint at intervention or suggest quick fixes, they can shake the market’s foundation and directly impact the livelihoods of ranchers who depend on stable, transparent pricing,” said Justin Tupper, president of USCA. “Sudden price moves make it harder for independent producers to plan, invest and keep their operations running.”

“NCBA’s family farmers and ranchers have numerous concerns with importing more Argentinian beef to lower prices for consumers,” said NCBA chief executive officer Colin Woodall. “This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices.”

These groups’ sentiments were echoed by the Congress members in their letter.

“While I agree with the president that, despite lower inflation, the cost of food is still too high for many working families, I strongly disagree with the idea that purchasing beef from Argentina will have a meaningful impact on prices at the store,” said Congressman Jason Smith (R-Mo.), one of the letter’s authors. “In recent days, I have heard from countless cattle farmers in Missouri who have expressed concerns that they are being unfairly blamed for the high cost of beef when the Biden administration’s disastrous economic policies are still having huge impacts on their operations.”