NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — It IS time for the beef industry — and the public — to face facts about America’s appetite for hamburgers. According to Steve Dittmer, Executive Vice President of the Agribusiness Freedom Foundation, ground beef has become the nation’s most versatile and affordable cut, but that popularity now depends heavily on imported lean beef to meet demand.
In the 1970s, U.S. cow slaughter yielded enough lean trim to match domestic needs. Today, however, Dittmer notes that Americans spend roughly $15 billion a year on ground beef, consuming about 27 pounds per person, and U.S. producers simply can’t keep up. The U.S. now imports about 4 billion pounds of lean beef annually — four times what it produces domestically — to blend with higher-fat trimmings and keep burgers and retail ground beef affordable.
Dittmer warns that eliminating those imports could send prices soaring by three to four times, pushing a $12 burger into $50–$60 territory and gutting demand. Imports now account for about 10 percent of the total U.S. beef supply, helping stabilize prices and preserve consumer access. “The free market and international trade work,” Dittmer argues, emphasizing that imported lean beef keeps the nation’s most popular beef product — ground beef — both available and affordable.
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