Testimony of Carlyle Currier President, Colorado Farm Bureau– Good morning, Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Craig, and distinguished
members of the House Committee on Agriculture. My name is Carlyle Currier, and
I serve as the President of Colorado Farm Bureau. I am also here today representing
the American Farm Bureau Federation. I want to thank you for the opportunity to
join these committee proceedings and share my testimony.
I live and ranch on Colorado’s western slope, in the rural community of Plateau
Valley — home to around 1,400 residents. Ranching is the lifeblood of our
community, sustaining families like mine since the 1880s. Our community is home
to many legacy ranches that are legally defined by the State of Colorado as
Centennial Ranches — ranches that have been continuously owned and operated by
the same family for more than 100 years.
Currier Ranch is one of those Centennial Ranches. My son Joel is the fifth generation
on the ranch. Joel and I raise beef cattle and ship calves in the fall when they come
off our U.S. Forest Service permit at around 600-700 pounds. Our beef is fed,
finished, and enters the supply chain for consumers. In our program, we also retain
ownership, which allows us to obtain proprietary data used to improve genetic
performance. For us, improving genetic performance translates into more efficient
use of our natural resources and yields a higher quality product for consumers, as
well as a premium price. Like many other businesses, in ranching, return is tied to
demand. The return on my investment in my own herd is forever tied to consumer
demand for American beef. As an aging rancher, I often run calculations as to how
tax liabilities impact today’s bottom line and tomorrow’s next generation of
ownership. Fortunately, Congress fortified long-term capital investments into the
beef industry by making permanent critical tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful
Bill Act passed last summer. Provisions like permanent estate tax exemptions and
business income deductions will enable farmers to invest back into their business,
encouraging herd rebuilding and empowering succession planning. Ultimately, I
look forward to the day when I can hand the reins over to my son because I know he
now has a better chance to succeed in producing American beef and carrying on the
legacy of the four generations before him.
Ranching in the West comes with many challenges. Unpredictable weather patterns,
long distances between livestock markets, and a shortage of veterinarians and
processors are just a few of those challenges. I’d like to thank the committee for
including necessary updates to the Livestock Forage Program, or LFP, the Livestock
Indemnity Program, and vitally important animal health programs. Due to these
changes, ranchers who experience a D2 or greater drought for four consecutive
weeks are eligible for LFP. Before, that timeframe was eight weeks.
As we are all aware, wildfires and predation in the West are an all-too-common
occurrence. Ranchers like me can now be indemnified for 100% market value of an
animal lost to predation and 75% for losses from adverse weather or disease. More
importantly, LIP will now cover unborn livestock losses occurring after Jan. 1, 2024.
Supply and Demand
We can discuss the programs that are there to help ranchers get through tough times,
but nothing helps a cattle rancher more than strong demand, fair and free trade, and
a consistent marketplace.
In a May 2026 Farm Bureau Market Intel, AFBF economists said that “Americans
are eating more meat than ever,” and that “beef prices continue to set records driven
by strong demand and the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75 years – a result of years of
drought and elevated operating costs that have led farmers to liquidate their herds.”
According to data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), the national
average retail price for all-fresh beef was a record-high $9.99 per pound in April
2026, up $1.50 per pound, or about 18%, from April 2025. When it comes to beef,
steaks are the king of the grill. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of
St. Louis (FRED), the national average price of all uncooked beef steaks in U.S.
cities was record high at $13.02 per pound in April, up 17% from $11.12 per pound
last year.
Behind these higher prices, the United States is navigating the lowest cattle supply
in 75 years. This smaller supply follows years of drought and elevated operating
costs that have led farmers and ranchers to liquidate their herds. Disruptions tied
to New World screwworm (NWS) restrictions along the southern border have
further restricted the domestic cattle supply.
On the other side of the beef price equation is demand, which traditionally climbs
even higher during the summer grilling months. This increased demand goes back
to the COVID-19 shutdowns when beef quickly became the meat protein of choice
for the majority of consumers who were now cooking at home.
USDA’s September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE)
report estimates that 2026 total U.S. beef consumption will be approximately 28.9
billion pounds. While that is slightly lower than earlier forecasts, it remains
historically strong and well above pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the continued
demand for beef from American consumers.
USDA’s September WASDE also projects total 2026 beef production is
approximately 24.9 billion pounds. Despite productivity gains from improved
genetics, management practices, and heavier cattle weights, domestic production
continues to be constrained by historically tight cattle supplies and the lingering
effects of years of drought, elevated costs, and herd liquidation.
It’s important to note that projected beef production remains roughly 4 billion
pounds below expected consumption, a gap of nearly 14%. Put simply, Americans
continue to consume more beef than U.S. farmers and ranchers currently produce.
Closing that gap will require time, investment, and confidence from producers who
are considering whether or not to retain heifers and rebuild the national cattle herd.
One way farmers and ranchers have helped fill the gap between supply and demand
is by feeding cattle to higher weights. The average monthly live weight of all
federally inspected cattle in March 2026 was a record-high 1,475 pounds. This
follows the average monthly live weight rising every month since June 2025.
Heavier cattle mean fattier beef and a higher proportion of fat trimmings available
for use in ground beef production. According to data from Oklahoma State
University, ground beef makes up the largest portion of beef consumed in the United
States, accounting for slightly less than 48% of all U.S. beef consumed in 2025.
Ground beef is made from a combination of fat trimmings and lean trimmings. Due
to the abundance of fat trimmings from heavier domestic cattle, and the undersupply
of lean trimmings, the U.S. imports lean trimmings to balance the scale. This, along
with U.S. demand exceeding the domestic supply, has led to higher beef
imports over the last few years. During the first quarter of 2026, the U.S. imported
562,000 metric tons valued at nearly $4.5 billion – up 18% from the same period last
year and 122% from five years ago.
For beef prices to come down, ranchers have to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd, or
consumer demand would have to drastically cool. Looking ahead, cattle producers
still face substantial uncertainty that clouds herd rebuilding decisions.
It takes about two years from the time a farmer decides to retain a heifer until she
produces a calf of her own. This means if farmers begin retaining heifers now, it will
be 2028 at the earliest before those heifers’ calves contribute to meaningful growth
in cattle supplies.
Production Costs
We greatly appreciate American consumers unwavering demand for beef and
understand the pressures families face at the grocery store because we face many of
those same pressures on the ranch. The cost of feed, fuel, equipment, veterinary
care, labor, and financing have all increased, and those are not expenses we can
simply choose to do without.
Recent Administrative Actions on Beef Imports
I’m not alone when I say that I was caught off guard by the recent decision to waive
the tariff rate quota (TRQ) on 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings for 90
days. This beef will come from countries that have considerably lower production
costs and animal welfare standards, and fewer regulations, which allow them to
undercut cattle operations like mine.
The additional 300,000 metric tons are allocated across four specific tariff lines:
fresh or chilled certified organic lean beef trimmings, fresh or chilled lean beef
trimmings classified as “other,” and their frozen counterparts. According to USDA’s
Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), through the first half of 2026, beef imports under
these tariff lines have totaled more than $3 billion on just over 370,000 metric tons
– with an average import value of nearly $8,200 per metric ton or $3.71 per pound.
Importantly, by raising the TRQ for the 300,000 metric tons, the out-of-quota tariff
rate of 26.4% is effectively waived. With an estimated current market value of
$2.5 billion for 300,000 metric tons of beef trimmings, the waived tariff amount
equates to nearly $650 million in waived tariffs for foreign-sourced beef – at the
expense of hard-working American ranchers who are now selling calves at
prices that are $300 to $400 below prices just two months ago.
To put it simply: the timing of this announcement could not have come at a worse
time. Many ranchers are currently deciding whether to retain heifers, purchase
breeding stock and begin rebuilding their herds.
Those are not short-term decisions. When a rancher retains a heifer, they are
choosing not to market that animal today in exchange for the possibility of future
calf crops years down the road. In many cases, it takes multiple years and multiple
calf sales before that investment pays for itself. If farmers and ranchers lose
confidence that those investments will earn a return, they simply will not expand
their herds.
Rebuilding the Herd
To better understand why cattle herd numbers matter and how they affect grocery
store prices, as well as how policy decisions can affect future beef supplies, it’s
helpful to understand the entire production cycle.
The process begins when a cow gives birth to a calf. For the first several months of
its life, the calf remains with its mother, nursing, and grazing while receiving care
from farmers. The calf is typically weaned (removed from the care of its mother) at
6 to 10 months of age, when it weighs between 500 and 700 pounds. At this stage,
farmers have a big decision to make; they can either retain the calf for breeding or
sell it to begin the beef production process. Approximately 70% of cattle growers
have calves in the spring, which means they are marketed in the fall.
Option #1: Retain the calf for breeding purposes
By retaining the heifer (female) calf, the rancher chooses to expand their herd by
way of the heifer’s future calves. In doing so, they forego any revenue they would
have received from feeding that animal for beef production. Retention rates have
dwindled in recent years due to ongoing drought and rising operating costs, driving
ranchers to market their heifer calves for beef production rather than keep them for
herd expansion.
At about 12-15 months of age, the heifer will be bred. Ranchers breed their heifers
to bulls selected for a variety of genetic factors to maximize the beef production
potential while also prioritizing the likelihood of a safe and healthy gestation
(pregnancy) period. Once bred, it takes 283 days for a heifer to produce a calf. Once
the calf is born, its mother (now considered a cow) will feed and care for it until it
reaches its desired weaning weight. At that point, the rancher again decides whether
to retain the calf for breeding purposes or market it for beef production. As for the
cow, the rancher will typically opt to repeat the cycle, waiting about 85 days to breed
her again to maintain a yearly calving interval.
A healthy, well-cared-for beef cow can typically produce calves until they are
roughly 10 years old. Once the cow reaches that age, the rancher will usually sell it
to a feedyard or finishing operation, where it is then sold to a meatpacker for
processing.
The retention of bull (male) calves for breeding purposes is less common, as ranchers
typically seek to breed their heifers and cows on bulls from other herds. However, if
a rancher raises and sells breeding animals with superior genetics (known as
seedstock) to other ranchers, they might choose to raise the bull calf separate from
their herd, with the hopes of marketing the bull’s semen to other beef operations for
breeding purposes.
Option #2: Put the calf into the beef supply chain
If the farmer decides the calf will enter the beef supply chain, it will most likely be
placed in a feedlot or on pasture to grow. As the animal develops, it gains weight to
around 900 pounds over the next six to eight months, depending on the animal’s
weight when this step begins. At about 900 pounds and roughly 18 months of age,
the animal is then typically finished in a feedlot where it receives a carefully
balanced diet designed to support growth and high-quality beef. Today’s cattle are
often raised to weights approaching 1,500 pounds before being marketed.
Once cattle reach the desired weight, farmers and ranchers sell them to meat
processors (sometimes called packers). The beef is then graded for quality,
processed into larger wholesale cuts, and shipped as boxed beef throughout the food
system. From there, it moves to grocery stores, restaurants, food distributors and
export markets around the world.
The final step is the one consumers see every day. Beef is cut into familiar products
such as steaks and roasts and turned into ground beef for sale at grocery stores and
restaurants.
Domestic Markets
I mentioned earlier about premiums, and there is no better premium than a USA
label. We are thankful that the President and his Administration are continuing the
voluntary Product of the USA label that was proposed and finalized under his
predecessor.
This voluntary label can create increased opportunities for ranchers like me to
capture additional premiums within the market. Under the 2026 standards and
criteria for the voluntary label, the Trump Administration empowered Americans —
producers and consumers alike — to leverage the power of the free market.
Even though consumers often face sticker shock at the grocery store, data shows
price has not discouraged consumers from purchasing muscle cuts of beef. That
consumer loyalty is one of the reasons ranchers have confidence in the future of our
industry. In fact, demand has increased year over year. The consistently improved
quality of beef correlates with an inelastic consumer demand that has been
unmatched by other grocery staples. In reality, very little that is done in the public
policy arena compels retailers to lower prices. Suffice it to say, consumers both in
the U.S. and around the world cannot get enough of the high-quality beef produced
by American ranchers. We must continue to pursue open trade opportunities that
allow us to supplement our country’s demand for lean beef. Producing high-quality
American beef and bolstering the market for primal cuts such as center-plate
proteins, equips producers to capitalize on premier retail opportunities that are
expanding like never before.
Durable regulatory and policy decisions have long been a hallmark of federal ag
policy that has provided much-needed sustainability for ranchers and their rural
communities. It is legislation like the farm bill that has provided the framework for
farm economies and our food systems.
As both a rancher and a consumer, I certainly recognize that we must carefully
balance producers’ bottom lines and the affordability of our nation’s food supply.
The challenge is that cattle production operates on a biological timeline that cannot
be rushed. Rebuilding the national herd requires long-term investments and
confidence in a return on those investments. Rebuilding the U.S. cattle herd demands
predictability just as our markets and consumers demand consistency, and
reactionary policy decisions often cause unrealized turbulence rather than
realized gain.
Thank you for having me here today, and I am happy to answer any questions the
Committee may have.
Click here to watch the full hearing “Increasing Demand and Opportunities for Homegrown Products Here and Abroad” at 9:30am ET.
