Phone: 406-252-2516; r-calfusa

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Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, the nation’s largest cattle association that exclusively represents cattle farmers and ranchers, issued the following statement in response to the president’s efforts.

“We appreciate President Trump’s interest in addressing the U.S. beef market, which has been producing all-time record-high consumer beef prices. We urge the president to address the fundamental problems in the beef market, not just its symptom.

“The symptom is that the U.S. has shrunk its beef cow herd to such a low level that it can no longer produce enough beef to satisfy domestic demand.

“But the fundamental problem is that decades of failed trade policies have allowed cheap, undifferentiated imports to displace the domestic cow herd, driving hundreds of thousands of cattle farmers and ranchers and millions of domestic beef cows out of the domestic beef supply chain.

“In addition, the nation’s beef packers and beef retailers have been allowed to concentrate to monopolistic levels, enabling them to interfere with competitive market forces.

“Just over a generation ago, cattle producers received over 60% of the consumer’s beef dollar and the packer and retailer received under 40%, and at that time consumer beef prices were affordable. But since that time, the packers’ and retailers’ share of the consumer beef dollar grew disproportionately to the cattle producers’ share. By 2021, the allocation was completely reversed, with packers and retailers receiving over 60% and producers receiving under 40% of the consumer’s beef dollar.

“In other words, the monopolistic control by the concentrated beef packers and beef retailers, and their access to unlimited, cheaper imports, enable them to exploit producers at one end of the beef supply chain and consumers on the other.

“Attempting to lower domestic beef prices simply by inviting even more imports will both exacerbate and accelerate the ongoing dismantling of the domestic beef supply chain.

“The chart below clearly shows the long-term and ever-growing disconnect between cattle prices and consumer beef prices.”

“Such action will incentivize our domestic industry to rebuild and expand to meet our nation’s national security interest of achieving self-reliance in beef production and ensure that consumers pay a competition-driven – not the current monopolistic-driven – price for beef.”

For more information, watch: “Why Is the Herd Shrinking Amid Record Beef Prices?” | Weekly Address | R-CALF USA.

Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) is the largest producer-only lobbying and trade association representing U.S. cattle producers. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle and sheep industries. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or call 406-252-2516.

Trump says his administration is working on lowering beef prices

By Tom Polansek, Trevor Hunnicutt and Costas Pitas

October 17, 20251:47 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration was working to lower the price of beef in the country.

“We are working on beef, and I think we have a deal on beef,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

The price of beef is “higher than we want it, and that’s going to be coming down pretty soon too. We did something,” Trump added, without elaborating.

Beef prices have climbed to record highs after cattle ranchers slashed their herds due to a yearslong drought in the western United States that dried up lands used for grazing and raised feeding costs.

By the beginning of the year, the herd had dwindled to 86.7 million cattle, the smallest number for the time period since 1951, according to U.S. government data.

The Meat Institute, which represents meatpacking companies, said it needed to learn more about Trump’s plans to lower prices.

The administration of former President Joe Biden blamed meatpacking companies for rising food costs.

Last week, processors Tyson Foods (TSN.N), opens new tab and Cargill agreed to pay a combined $87.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by consumers who accused the companies of conspiring to inflate beef prices by restricting supply. The companies have denied wrongdoing.

Meatpackers such as Tyson have lost money in their beef businesses as tight cattle supplies force them to pay more to buy animals to slaughter.

Supplies tightened further this year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted imports of Mexican livestock to keep out a damaging pest spreading in Mexico. Mexican cattle were formerly imported to be fattened in U.S. feedlots and slaughtered in U.S. processing plants.

Tariffs that Trump imposed on Brazilian goods have also slowed U.S. imports of Brazilian beef that was mixed with U.S. supplies to make hamburger meat.

Recently, some U.S. ranchers have begun taking initial steps to start rebuilding the herd. However, it takes about two years before beef output rises after they make the first moves to expand because that is how long it takes to raise full-grown cattle, ranchers said.

Last month, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA in mid-October would provide details on a plan to revitalize the decimated herd that would not include payments to producers.

Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Costas Pitas and Tom Polansek; Writing by Ismail Shakil, Editing by Franklin Paul and Diane Craft