WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — The American Farm Bureau Federation is raising concerns about a proposed beef import window that falls during the period when ranchers market their spring calves.
Economists say an influx of foreign beef could drive down cattle prices at a time when producers are making major decisions about their operations.
In a statement released Wednesday morning, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said the proposal could hurt U.S. ranchers.
“Allowing 300,000 metric tons—equivalent to more than 660 million pounds—of foreign beef into the United States at a 25% discount below market prices will undermine America’s ranchers who work tirelessly to grow food for American families.”
While groups are asking the administration to reconsider, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she understands the challenges producers are facing and stressed the need to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd.
“I will never stop battling for our farmers and our ranchers, and ensuring that our president fully has every data and detail that he needs to understand. And he does understand. Unless we rebuild our beef herd, we will become more and more reliant on foreign countries to feed and fuel ourselves, and that is, as I’ve mentioned, an absolute no-go as we’re working to bring all of this back to America. All of this is in balance. I, of course, am the president’s secretary of agriculture; he hears from me a lot on all of these issues, but once a decision is made, I understand the decision and defend the decision and look forward to continuing to rebuild the herd, while making sure that we can continue to be able to explain this.”
Some farm-state leaders are also speaking out against the U.S. plan to import more beef.
In an exclusive interview with RFD-TV, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she has written directly to Rollins, arguing the administration should instead focus on policy.
“My concern is that this is a cynical choice. To try and have a gimmick in advance of the November elections, trying to drive down prices at the grocery store, which, to be clear, I want us to see lower costs at the grocery store. We do that by making better policy as it relates to trade policy, as it relates to the war in Iran, which is driving fuel costs. We do not do that on the backs of Virginia’s producers. This will be catastrophic.”
Spanberger said she fears Virginia could lose some of its 21,000 family farms if the trend continues, noting that many producers have taken jobs off the farm to stay in business.
