A recent announcement from President Donald Trump stating he is working to bring down high beef prices has sent shockwaves through the cattle industry, sparking disbelief, market turmoil, and sharp criticism from producers who feel blindsided by the government’s interference.
The market’s reaction was immediate and severe, but the initial response was confusion for many producers. Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Jennifer Carrico, DTN Senior Livestock Editor, and a beef producer about the current situation. “At first… I thought, “Did he really say that?” said Carrico. I think that was what most of us thought.”
The comments were a jarring escalation from vaguer statements by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins made weeks earlier about “incentives” to rebuild the national cattle herd. Carrico noted that when Rollins later clarified that this would not involve “any government funding,” producers were left “still kind of baffled” about the plan.
Why Importing Isn’t the Answer
With the U.S. beef herd at a historic low, producers argue that high prices are a simple function of supply and demand in a cyclical market. Carrico emphasized that rebuilding the herd isn’t a fast process.
“If we keep heifers back this year, they get old enough to breed by next year, then they gestate for nine months… It’s really four years from now,” she explained.
Carrico strongly cautioned against artificially lowering prices by using imports from countries like Argentina, citing major concerns over safety and quality.
“We have a very, besides a very safe product, a very high-quality product,” she said, noting the American public is “used to eating very high-quality beef, which I personally don’t believe is… going to be found in other countries.”
She also raised critical biosecurity flags. “We also know that there has been Foot and Mouth Disease in recent years in Argentina, which we do not want here. That would be very devastating to all of the livestock industries.”
Undermining ‘True Price Discovery’
For an industry that prides itself on independence, the president’s announcement felt like a direct assault on the free market.
“That’s one thing that we know we will have in sale barns across the United States, which is true price discovery,” Carrico said. “That really is how the beef industry has survived through the years and… every beef producer I talked to doesn’t want to see that change.”
She described the move as deeply frustrating for producers who have weathered market lows without government intervention. “We’ve always been independent,” Carrico stated. “I’d say, yeah, to in a way, it probably is a bit of a betrayal to beef producers, because we haven’t been ones to ask for handouts or receive them.”
A Matter of Perspective
While acknowledging that consumers “just want cheaper meat,” Carrico argued that Americans have “lost a little bit of perspective” on the value of beef.
“Even at $9.99 a pound for hamburger… You can make four quarter-pound hamburgers to feed four people,” she said, contrasting the nutritional value of beef with other common expenses. “I want to ask the people who are complaining about the price of beef… are they willing to go out and spend $10 at the convenience store for a candy bar and a Coke, or go get a coffee at the local coffee shop for near that amount?”
Despite the “big tank” in the market on Friday, Carrico is hopeful for a rebound based on market fundamentals. “Going back to that supply and demand factor, with the demand as high as it is and consumers just really enjoying beef, I don’t see that happening [a continued fall].”
In the meantime, she urged producers to contact their congressional representatives and cattle organizations. “We want our voice heard,” she said.
Click here to read the original Article by Jennifer Carrico, DTN Senior Livestock Editor, and ShayLe Stewart, DTN Livestock Analyst://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2025/10/17/beef-producers-time-speak-2?itm_source=parsely-api.
