American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on his meeting with President Trump and the executive orders signed today, which address several issues impacting America’s ranchers.
“I had the important opportunity today to speak with President Trump after the Oval Office event to let him know that the plan to increase beef imports is hurting farm families. I shared with him that we have witnessed significant price drops for cattle across the country. It has caused a setback to rebuilding the U.S. herd. We’ll continue to urge the administration to reverse the decision to increase imports before cattle prices fall further.
“America’s beef producers were the focus of today’s meeting at the White House. Among the topics covered under the executive orders is a call for an interagency review of mandatory country of origin labeling for beef. Farm Bureau policy supports voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) that conforms with COOL parameters and meets World Trade Organization requirements.
“We appreciate the president’s support for small processors by exploring new opportunities and expanded inspection access. Creating competition benefits both ranchers and consumers.
“The executive order also recognizes advances made in the recovery of Mexican and gray wolves in the United States. Farmers and ranchers share a commitment to healthy wildlife populations, and we support updated status reviews. The ESA is designed to help protect and recover species, and when populations recover, we should celebrate those successes and give oversight to the states for continued responsible management.”
R-CALF USA President Dave Hyde and R-CALF USA Property Rights Chair Shad Sullivan represented American independent livestock producers at the signings.
“These executive orders don’t fix everything with the stroke of a pen, but they put the weight of the administration behind tackling several longstanding challenges facing cattle producers,” said Hyde. “They set in motion efforts to find a path forward on MCOOL, strengthen enforcement against unfair and anticompetitive practices, expand opportunities for independent processors, address wolf delisting and livestock depredation, and identify federal policies that are making it harder for ranchers to stay in business.
“R-CALF USA has worked tirelessly to advance reforms in these areas, engaging directly with the administration to offer clear direction and practical solutions,” Hyde continued. “We welcome today’s action as a step forward.
“This is only the start,” Hyde said. “There is more work to be done to build a cattle and beef marketplace that rewards American producers, provides consumers with transparency, and rebuilds our domestic cattle industry for generations to come.” “Our ranching members have spent decades pressing the federal government to address many of the issues included in today’s executive orders,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “We encourage them to stay mobilized as we enter the important implementation stage and continue working to rebuild a cattle and beef supply chain that has been allowed to deteriorate for far too long.”
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) appreciates the Administration’s focus on issues our members have championed for years, including Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL), predator control, robust Packers and Stockyards enforcement, and support for meat inspection and small processors. These are critical to the long term strength of the U.S. cattle industry and consumer trust in our food supply.
“USCA has fought for clear, honest beef labels from the very beginning, and we are encouraged to see MCOOL back in the conversation in a serious way,” said USCA President Justin Tupper. “U.S. consumers deserve to know where their beef comes from, and we support a WTO compliant framework that requires all beef—domestic and imported—to be accurately labeled. Done right, MCOOL doesn’t just give families a clear choice at the meat counter, it will restore integrity across our trade deals and the broader marketplace.”
USCA notes that directing USDA and USTR to review their authorities on MCOOL closely tracks work already underway in the Farm Bill and the American Beef Labeling Act. “We have pushed for MCOOL to be secured legislatively because that is the surest path to longevity,” Tupper continued. “These Executive Orders can and should build on the progress in Congress. We especially appreciate Senator Thune and other champions who have done the hard work to design a WTO compliant, durable approach to MCOOL. This is exactly the moment for cross branch collaboration—now is the time for a Farm Bill that includes targeted MCOOL and competition provisions that will actually last.”
On competition, USCA welcomes the emphasis on robust Packers and Stockyards enforcement. Directing USDA to prioritize investigations into anti competitive practices, increase resources and staffing, and coordinate closely with the Department of Justice are all important and key aspects. “Strengthening Packers and Stockyards only works if USDA has the people and tools to ac-tually enforce the law, so we’re very encouraged by the details in this order,” Tupper said. “Producers need timely, accurate information and real world enforcement. That means more capacity for investigations, better data on domestic prices and live cattle trade, as well as a renewed focus on meaningful price discovery and marketing transparency.”
USCA also supports efforts to expand market access and support small and very small processors through meat inspection and food safety programs. “The technical assistance and training programs outlined today for small processors are a great step in the right direction,” Tupper said. “Several states already operate strong inspection programs, while others will need clearer standards and more capacity. Whatever the mix of state and federal oversight, consumers must be confident that all inspected beef meets the same high bar for safety.”
On predator control, USCA emphasizes that ranchers must be able to protect their herds and livelihoods from wolves. Directing Interior and USDA to evaluate delisting, improve compensation standards, and ease lethal removal reflects what producers have been saying for years. But the litigation pool on wolves is deep, and past delisting efforts have been quickly halted by injunctions. “Producers who have dealt with wolves for a long time deserve more than policy swings,” Tupper said. “We encourage Congress and the agencies to use this opening to put a durable framework in place for delisting and to seriously consider directing more authority and compensation dollars to state level programs that can respond quickly and fairly.”
Even as we welcome attention to these long standing priorities, USCA does not ignore the broader market context. Record beef imports and recent import decisions have shaken cattle markets at a time when producers are already struggling with high input costs, drought, wildfire, and trade uncertainty.
“Today’s announcement gives a lot of direction, and we thank President Trump and Secretary Rollins for highlighting these priorities,” Tupper said. “The lasting impact will be decided by the agencies as they do their review and Congress, who can take legislative action to support these moves. USCA will work constructively with USDA, USTR, Interior, and our state partners to turn these directives into real world results, and we urge Congress to pick up this ball in the Farm Bill and other legislation. Our markets have been shaken by imports, and many producers are cautious on what comes next. We will keep pushing to ensure these initiatives become long term solutions—not short term promises—for U.S. cattle producers and American consumers.”
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew released the following statement after President Trump signed two executive orders to support American ranchers:
“The president is right: corporate consolidation in meat processing is a crisis for family farmers and ranchers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must fully enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act. Many administrations have prioritized antitrust efforts, but farmers and ranchers are looking for results. We urge USDA and the Department of Justice to direct the personnel and resources needed to hold meatpackers accountable.
“A competitive livestock market also needs diversified processing options. Efforts to provide greater processing flexibility could help family farmers and ranchers, but not at the expense of food safety. “With broad support from family ranchers, American consumers, the Senate Agriculture Committee and now the president of the United States, now is the time for Congress to finish the job and reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling.”
