A U.S. cattle group is supporting President Trump’s tariff strategy. R-CALF’s Bill Bullard says that the group has been on board from day one.
According to Bullard, “Our organization was the only one that publicly came out and said, ‘We support these wholeheartedly.’ And we explain, for example, that whenever our price point in the cattle industry reaches a level that would incentivize our industry to begin expanding our cattle herd, we see a flood of imports and we saw that in 2024. We have a 1.6 billion pound deficit in the trade in cattle and from 2024, and that’s a 37% increase than the last five year average.”
Bullard says that the recent surge in beef imports to meet consumer demand has undermined American farmers and ranchers. He says that makes it harder to attract new producers and limits herd expansion.
“We argue that those 25% tariffs were absolutely necessary in order to level the playing field. We’re importing beef from countries that have lower wages, that hvae lower production standards, that have lower—less stringent environmental standards, and that have a huge advantage because they have weaker currencies, and our producers are experiencing a situation where these imports are displacing domestic production,” he explains.
USDA projects beef imports could reach nearly 4.5 billion pounds this year.
Placements and marketings beat expectations, but declining on-feed totals and feeder constraints keep the supply story supportive for cattle prices into 2026. Dr. Derrell Peel, with Oklahoma State University, joined us to break down cattle-on-feed numbers and provide his broader market outlook.
January 23, 2026 04:40 PM
·
USDA Rural Development Director for Kentucky, Travis Burton, joined us to discuss the Princeton facility (formerly Porter Road Meats), now backed by the USDA, and its role in expanding domestic meat processing capacity.
January 23, 2026 03:39 PM
·
Nearly everyone in the South Texas ag community appears extremely worried about the potential of a New World screwworm epidemic, according to a local veterinarian. RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey reports.
January 23, 2026 11:56 AM
·
Brian Earnest, an animal protein economist with CoBank, shares insights into current demand trends and the challenges facing broiler production.
January 22, 2026 06:34 PM
·
Jack Hubbard, with the Center for the Environment and Welfare, shares context and perspective on the controversial letter about Prop 12 circulating in Washington and how a review shows it misled the public.
January 22, 2026 06:25 PM
·
While row crops are expected to see softer impacts, analysts say severe weather of this magnitude will not be as kind to cattle producers.
January 22, 2026 11:05 AM
·
