OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — "The only price that we have that is high is beef and we will get that down and one of the things we are thinking about doing is beef from Argentina," said President Donald Trump over the weekend.
Those comments caught the attention of farming experts here in Nebraska.
"It's a head-scratcher for sure," said Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau.
McHargue says the idea of lowering the price of beef may be good for the consumer, but it impacts American producers.
"That ultimately lowers the cattle price of our physical cattle as well and that's pretty problematic," McHargue said.
McHargue says it's all about supply and demand. He says right now we are seeing a shortage of cattle which translates to higher beef prices.
Molly: "What would you like to see President Trump do instead, is there a different recommendation, is there something you would say to him instead?
McHargue: "If I was speaking with President Trump I would ask him to, let's find ways to stimulate and help the ranches, really add more cattle, that's, that's that's the solution."
Nebraska Cattlemen said in a statement it opposes government interference in the cattle market.
Read the full statement below:
"One of our core principles is to protect the free enterprise system for the beef cattle industry. Nebraska Cattlemen opposes government interference in the cattle market.
Introducing unnecessary price volatility into the cattle and beef marketing chain and fostering uncertainty during the time of year when many producers are making heifer retention and herd expansion decisions risks a negative impact on the one true long-term solution for currently elevated beef prices – expansion of the U.S. beef cattle herd. The U.S. cattle and beef market is doing its job by replenishing cow numbers, and it will complete that job if allowed to do so in an uninhibited manner.
Further, we produce a nutrient dense, safe, and delicious product, which is why consumer demand for beef remains strong. We urge President Trump and members of Congress to put American beef producers first and avoid hindering the cattle market's ability to respond to fundamental cyclical factors."
Senators Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer say they have both been in contact with the administration about this.
Statement from Sen. Pete Ricketts:
“I’ve been in contact with members of the Trump administration including Ambassador Greer, Secretary Bessent, and Secretary Rollins. I also spoke to President Trump at the White House today with a number of my colleagues. Nebraska ranchers are making money for the first time in years. We must continue to stand with them while we look for ways to lower grocery prices. Our focus should be on market-based solutions. I have advocated to administration officials to invest in more mitigation efforts to be able to normalize trade with our long-time partner Mexico. The New World Screwworm has disrupted beef trade with Mexico this year. We should continue working to address this issue to help stabilize beef prices and normalize trade.”
Statement from Sen. Deb Fischer:
“Since hearing the president’s comments suggesting the U.S. would buy beef from Argentina, I’ve been in touch with his administration and my colleagues to seek clarity and express my deep concerns. I’ve also been sounding the alarm on the bleak state of our ag economy and the negative impacts facing Nebraska’s ag industry—the economic driver of our state. Bottom line: if the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way. Right now, government intervention in the beef market will hurt our cattle ranchers. The U.S. has safe, reliable beef, and it is the one bright spot in our struggling ag economy. Nebraska’s ranchers cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them when they’re just getting ahead or simply breaking even. I strongly encourage the Trump administration to focus on trade deals that benefit our ag producers—not imports that will do more harm than good.”
