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Posted on 10/22/2025 12:46:47 PM PDT by hcmama
President Donald Trump rebuked cattle ranchers after they criticized his idea to import Argentinian beef, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday they “don’t understand” his policies—as the proposal has prompted criticism from Republican lawmakers in farm states while consumers face record-high beef prices.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
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Thank you President Trump.
According to https://alec.org/article/wheres-the-beef-regulatory-barriers-to-entry-and-competition-in-meat-processing-joe-trotter/ (from mid-2023):
As a result of the laws and regulations governing who can process meat for commercial consumption, there are high barriers to entry for small businesses looking to increase their market capacity. In order to have a full-time inspector or multiple inspectors on site, producers are required to furnish rent-free office space, laundry service, and other amenities for FSIS representatives.
Argentine rib eye steak dinner.
Cattle ranchers have been culling the heard for some time. Tough business on the ranching end.
Tariffs are not going to help US ranchers to raise more cattle to lower their prices.
Beef prices at the supermarket are at record highs, but cattle farmers are not making any of it. In response, the US cattle herd has reached 70 year lows,
the industry is an oligopoly of large processors. They will suppress prices for incoming beef because tens of thousands of family farmers have no other processing options.
Local and small-scale processing are disappearing fast.
For that, we can thank the USDA, EPA and other progressive government agencies in DC.
Sigh.
I think cattle ranchers understand that their livelihoods and successes are not a simple, “all so easy”, binary exercise.
They have costs - which they would prefer the government not have a hand in. They have situations - droughts, for example - that NO ONE can control. And ranchers (and farmers) also know that *foreign markets* have been a boon to their bottom lines... The US produces enough food to feed 2/3 of the world - and trade wars upset that pure, capitalist balance.
With a midterm coming up next year? This is just a self-inflicted own-goal.
Ranchers aren’t idiots. They know the score and they’re even willing to make near-term sacrifices for larger reasons.
But — essentially calling *supporters*, let’s face it: dumb or ignorant or unable to grasp?
SMH.
DJT really needs to stop with this kind of thing. I’m not a politician but I do enough to understand that you NEVER tell your supporters that you understand agricultural better than THEY do.
We’re talking about folks who have probably got literally generations under their belt owning and running herds.
This is a place where POTUS should listen twice as much as he talks.
Not being a rancher? I lean towards free trade. But - if I want to create policy (and I swerve away from my principle: Let the market decide) regarding cattle and beef? I’m going to *listen* twice as much as I talk.
Since Joe Biden was put in the WH, what used to be an $8 steak from a grocery store now costs $25. I surmise that roughly 50+% of the American people have been priced out of being able to afford to consume beef. I doubt that it’s the cattle rancher that’s getting rich.
This, all day long.
Also, how is importing Argentinian beef going to do that?
It makes no sense
It’s not just steak-—ground beef is sky high. The next pot of chili is going to be expensive
Seems like antitrust action is necessary against the beef industry.
Just completely arrogant and tone deaf
Here’s AI prices for beef in Georgia today, and I can attest to it and when it says $6.99 a pound for chuck, that’s on sale and in those tubes:
In Georgia, ground beef prices range from about $6.99 to $10.99 per pound, while steaks like ribeye are around $14.99 to $29.99 per pound. Other popular cuts like chuck roast can be found for about $13.99 to $14.99 per pound.
Ground beef
Ground Chuck: ~$6.99/lb
Ground Beef: ~$10.99/lb
Steaks
Ribeye: ~$14.99 - $29.99/lb
New York Strip: ~$25.99/lb
Sirloin: ~$19.99/lb
Filet Mignon: ~$33.99/lb
Roasts and other cuts
Chuck Roast: ~$13.99 - $14.99/lb
Sirloin Tip Roast: ~$14.99/lb
Stew Beef: ~$14.99/lb
Brisket: ~$14.99/lb
It sounds to me we need regulatory burdens lifted and/or streamlined.
I think most consumers understand the issue. It’s just that we’ve had it easy on prices due to being able to import beef INSTEAD of increasing domestic production.
He’s not saying they don’t understand agriculture, he’s saying they don’t understand what he is doing tradewise.
Yup.
This is the problem.
Anybody with half a brain and anyone actually willing to look at the actual data knows this simple fact: The biggest segment beneficiary of free trade in the US has been agriculture.
It’s not a straight line - and especially on beef, there’s a long pole that includes droughts and such.
But US agriculture is the most efficient *in the world*. For a long time, that has generally meant our farmers and ranchers have *benefitted* from the fact that they produce 10 times what the US can eat and they can sell it for profit to other countries.
It makes me sick that now we’re getting “socialism by other means”. Daddy government deciding which buttons to push. Button 1 means trade wars. Button 2 means handouts. Button 3 means buy so the people get what they want cheaper.
It’s the rabbit hole of collectivism - and you NEVER go down that rabbit hole. There is NO RIGHT COMBINATION OF BUTTONS to push.
The answer is to eliminate the buttons.
Another day another worthless article from a Trump hater.
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