WASHINGTON – Following President Trump’s comments about importing beef from Argentina to lower prices for American consumers, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew reaffirmed the need to strengthen fairness and competition within the U.S. beef industry rather than rely on imported products.
“Lowering beef prices for consumers starts with restoring fairness in the marketplace, not by importing beef from Argentina and undercutting American ranchers,” said Larew. “Years of drought, depressed cattle prices, and unchecked corporate consolidation have already pushed many family farmers and ranchers to the brink, all while consumers pay more at the grocery store.
“The White House recently bailed out Argentina with $40 billion in U.S. taxpayer-backed aid, and Argentina’s response was to strike new deals selling soybeans to China—deals that hurt American crop farmers. The last thing we need is to reward them by importing more of their beef.
“In times of extreme uncertainty in the farm economy, we should be doubling down on our efforts to support family farmers and ranchers here at home. The answer isn’t foreign beef; it’s rebuilding herds to meet domestic demand, restoring competition in meatpacking, enacting mandatory country-of-origin labeling so consumers know where their beef comes from, and creating a fair marketplace that works for both farmers and consumers.
“History shows that when competition disappears, ranchers receive less for their cattle even as grocery store prices climb, eroding fairness across the entire supply chain. Now more than ever, we hope the administration brings family farmers and ranchers to the table to consider solutions that put all American families first.”
