BISMARCK, N.D. – As the U.S. cattle industry experiences a 75-year low inventory and ranchers recuperate their losses after more than a decade of challenging conditions, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and more than 50 lawmakers are asking President Donald Trump to implement true “America First” policies. They are calling on the administration to pursue policies driving long-term stability in the domestic cattle industry, including expanding overseas markets for American beef.
Like other agricultural commodities, cattle prices rise and fall with the market due to well-known economic principles of supply, demand, and substitution. However, some national policymakers have proposed increasing beef imports or suspending tariff quotas to undercut domestic suppliers.
“American ranchers work diligently to do more with less, weather volatile markets, and provide a safe food supply,” wrote the lawmakers. “Cattle markets are cyclical, and ranchers use the upswings to prepare for the inevitable downturn. Any intervention in the natural system, especially at a time when producers are making marketing decisions, threatens to pick winners and losers and undermine the long-term viability of family-owned cattle operations throughout the supply chain.”
“As you consider policy changes which could impact American livestock producers, we urge you to prioritize proposals which deliver long-term market stability and confidence while consulting closely with impacted stakeholders,” concluded the lawmakers. “We are eager to work together to deliver certainty for American cattle producers while continuing to deliver safe, affordable, and high-quality American beef.”
The letter has support from several U.S. Senators, including Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), along with more than 40 members of the House of Representatives.
Click here for the letter.