Importing Beef Would Hurt Overall Ag Economy, AFBF Says

More voices are coming out against the idea of purchasing beef from Argentina.  When President Trump tossed out the idea of buying beef from the South American country to boost supply and bring down retail prices in the United States, the cattle market reaction was almost instantaneous.

"We saw limit-down movements in the futures market for three straight weeks in a row that impeded the ability for cattle farmers to manage risk through the use of LRP contracts," said John Newton, vice president of public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation.  "You have to remember that the cattle market is one of the healthiest parts of the farm economy right now, and the notion of even importing beef to ultimately reduce cattle prices is a detriment to farmer income.”

Cattle Has Been One Of The Few Bright Spots Of 2025

Newton said the already shaky farm economy cannot sustain a blow to the one sector showing gains and profits.

“If you take out the ad-hoc federal support that Congress has provided, net farm income is actually down, and crop farm cash receipts are down $71 billion from three years ago," Newton pointed out.  "So, it's the cattle side of the balance sheet that is supporting the farm economy."

This Would Be A One-Two Punch For Ranchers

Newton said cattle farmers and ranchers are just now starting to get their feet under them after several years of difficulty.

“Trying to lower beef prices when that is the part of the farm economy that is supporting rural America creates a lot of uncertainty, especially as American farmers are beginning to think about rebuilding the herd," he said.  "The notion that we need to lower beef prices would be a one-two punch that the farm economy just cannot handle.” 

Earlier this week, many from the livestock sector expressed their disappointment in the idea of importing beef from Argentina.

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