Trump Calls on Ranchers to Lower Beef Prices; Officials Reveal Plan to Rebuild Herd

Administration officials made public a multi-agency plan to expand grazing and support livestock numbers in the country.

People shop at a grocery store in Columbia, Md., on June 8, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

President Donald Trump’s administration intensified efforts on Wednesday to combat rising beef prices, calling on domestic cattle ranchers to lower prices for consumers while also releasing a multi-agency strategy to restock the nation’s depleted cattle herd.

Beef prices in the United States have eclipsed record levels after a prolonged drought that has impacted grazing lands and elevated feed expenses, forcing ranchers to reduce herd sizes. The U.S. cattle inventory, currently at its lowest since 1951, has been shrinking amid import restrictions, including the suspension of Mexican cattle shipments due to pest concerns and tariffs constraining Brazilian supplies, all while consumer demand remains strong.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump expressed sympathy for the industry.

“The beef, the ranchers I‘d say, who have done a great job, they’d lost their shirts for many, many years,” the president said. “They’ve really been decimated and I helped them a lot. I put tariffs on things coming into the country, including beef, and that gave them a chance to finally have a decent industry.”

He said his administration will be in talks with the cattle ranching industry.

“They’re great people but they’ve been hurt for 25, 30 years. They’ve been losing because other countries have taken advantage of them. And by putting tariffs on, they’ve been able to make a few dollars,” he said. “They’ve been able to have an industry. But I also want to keep the beef prices low.”

Trump in a Truth Social post called on ranchers to prioritize affordability for consumers.

“The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil,” Trump wrote. “They also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!”

Cattle ranchers have produced less beef as a multi-year drought has gripped the western parts of the United States.

According to data from U.S. government agencies, the national cattle inventory had declined to 86.7 million head by the beginning of the year—the smallest number for that seasonal benchmark since 1951.

Lean and extra lean ground beef reached an all-time high of $8.04 per pound in July before easing slightly to $7.95 in August—a 32 percent increase from the $6.09 low in 2015 and over 42 percent above the 2017 trough of $5.64.

Similarly, boneless USDA Choice sirloin steaks climbed to $14.32 per pound in August, more than 77 percent higher than the $8.07 recorded in 2017 and nearly double the $8.49 from 2015, while uncooked beef roasts averaged $8.72, up from $5.87 a decade ago.

The announcements follow Trump’s suggestion to import beef from Argentina to lower prices, a policy idea that the agricultural sector has protested. The moves come amid recent losses for U.S. soybean producers to Argentine competitors in sales to China.

The departments of Agriculture, Interior, Health and Human Services, and the Small Business Administration published a collaborative plan to revitalize the U.S. cattle herd, including considering expanded grazing opportunities on federal lands and increasing payments to ranchers via livestock programs.

Moreover, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will enforce the accuracy of the voluntary “Product of USA” labeling beginning Jan. 1, 2026, so that domestic producers capture premium pricing for U.S.-raised beef.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins noted the necessity for ranchers to raise production levels, announcing the initiative as part of efforts to increase the herd without direct producer subsidies, emphasizing instead opening additional working land and bolstering risk-mitigation tools.

Eight lawmakers, led by Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.), sent a letter to Trump seeking details on the Argentine import proposal.

“[We] urge your administration to ensure that any future decisions are made with full transparency, sound science, and a firm commitment to the U.S. cattle industry,” the letter reads.

Ranching experts and economists have said that rapid increases in cattle numbers are not possible, in part due to the amount of time it takes to rear a cow to maturity.

“The economics and the biology of it are really a tough nut to crack,” said David Anderson, agricultural economist at Texas A&M University.

And although Trump wants lower prices for consumers, higher prices are what motivate ranchers to expand their herds.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday that a large influx of foreign beef is not expected to enter the market.

The USDA’s most recent outlook report forecasts a slow herd recovery, with tight supplies anticipated until late 2025 before potential increases in 2026.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.