Farm to Table: Texas ranchers feel squeeze from Trump beef-import plan
The administration says the temporary quota will lower ground beef prices, while USDA monitors whether imported trimmings are sold 25% below market.
- President Donald Trump authorized a temporary increase of 300,000 metric tons of lean beef imports in August to lower consumer costs, allowing this volume over 90 days in three 100,000-metric-ton tranches from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said The White House aims to provide short-term consumer relief while allowing domestic ranchers to rebuild herds after a decade of losses, with officials monitoring if beef enters 25% below market prices.
- Cattle rancher Hayden Scarborough in Decatur, Texas, said the market "nosedived" after the import move, shifting his business from profit to loss and blaming the administration's policy regarding imported Argentine beef.
- Republican senators including John Barrasso, Steve Daines, and Katie Britt publicly pushed back, warning the plan could harm ranchers long-term, while Dallas restaurant owner Justin Fourton said rising beef costs forced menu price increases.
- To support smaller processors, the USDA is providing up to $500 million through its SPUR program, addressing market concentration where four companies dominate roughly 85% of beef processing.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Trump plan to make burgers cheaper backfires spectacularly in MAGA country
The effort by President Donald Trump to reduce the price of hamburgers by permitting imports of beef with low tariffs has ruffled the nerves of cattle producers in Republican states, while economists say the policy will save consumers only a few pennies per pound.As Vox reported, Trump’s administration increased the amount of imported lean beef trimmings eligible for lower tariff rates by 300,000 metric tons, or about 661 million pounds last mon…
Farm to Table: Texas ranchers feel squeeze from Trump beef-import plan
Texas ranchers say the Trump administration’s beef-import plan is squeezing profits, while Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the policy could be reversed if consumers don’t see lower prices.
Beef prices and herd retention decisions - Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network
With turbulent cattle markets due to beef imports and the southern border with Mexico reopening for cattle imports cattle producers have a lot to think about when making decisions for the future of the herd. Will cattle ranchers and farmers make plans for starting the rebuilding process for the remainder of 2026 and going into […]
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