Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman commented today on President Trump’s plans to reduce beef prices through increased beef imports from Argentina.
“The core mission of our farmers is twofold: to supply consumers with wholesome, affordable, and locally grown food and to sustain their own family livelihoods. We understand grocery store prices are high, but our family farms are struggling to make ends meet as well. Therefore, we were troubled by the President’s recent comments suggesting the possibility of importing beef from Argentina as a means to lower grocery store costs. The beef industry, particularly, has taken a toll in recent years from factors outside of their control such as a shrinking cattle inventory, prolonged drought, and the New World Screwworm. While beef prices have hit record highs in the stores recently, farmers have struggled to reap the benefits. The use of beef imports to lower retail prices in the U.S. will hurt our family beef farmers by further destabilizing an already fragile domestic farm economy.
We urge the administration to fully assess the consequences that importing Argentine beef would have on the U.S. cattle industry before making any final decisions. The distressed and alarmed reaction from cattle producers to the mere proposal of importing beef to artificially lower prices clearly demonstrates the industry’s concern. More importantly, food security should be paramount; utilizing foreign-grown products puts U.S. food independence at risk. We are ready to work with the President on strategies to simultaneously lower grocery store costs for consumers and boost the American farmer by prioritizing locally grown products and reducing input expenses.”