08/26/2026
I've had several people ask me to comment on the current hot topic of importing cheap foreign beef to lower grocery prices for consumers.
First, I'll say this: being a leader isn't easy, especially leader of the free world. When you're fighting battles on so many fronts, you have to surround yourself with good people because there's no way anyone can be an expert on everything. Pray for our leaders and their advisors!
As for the imported beef being brought in, I don't believe the volume is significant enough to make a meaningful difference in food prices. If it had simply been brought in to help fill a ground beef shortage, many people probably wouldn't have thought much about it. However, the public announcements on Facebook and the ongoing discussions in the news have been devastating for cattle producers across the country. Those conversations have helped drive prices down at a time when many producers are preparing to market an entire year's worth of hard work.
When it comes to herd expansion, I believe many producers had started retaining heifers and were beginning to rebuild. Now, we're moving backward. Many ranchers will have to sell those heifers to make up for lost market value just to make payments, pay bills, and support their families.
At the end of the day, I'm at a loss as to why beef has become the proverbial bad guy for the past two years. Somehow, it has been portrayed as the reason hardworking families are struggling to get by.
Personally, if we're going to have a serious conversation about what would truly help working families, we should be focused on the price of gasoline and diesel, health insurance, homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and interest rates, just to name a few. In my opinion, those are the things putting the greatest strain on hardworking Americans, not a cheeseburger.
I am also 100% in favor of mandatory Country of Origin Labeling. Consumers have a right to know where the products they purchase come from. If a company opposes that transparency, it raises questions about what they don't want consumers to see.
I know this has been a long post, and these are strictly my personal opinions. Several people asked for my thoughts, so I wanted to share them. Believe me, I sympathize with cattle producers because my family ranches as well. I also sympathize with every hardworking person who feels the pressure of higher costs at the gas pump, the insurance office, the bank, and the grocery store.
Every one keep your head up, I am confident we will find a way to come out on top of this!
Hope to see you on the trail soon!
