‘Not a happy Trump supporter’: U.S. Cattle ranchers hit by push for lower beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Gary Vetter was 10 years outdated when he began feeding cattle at his household’s farm.

Fifty-five years later, after surviving bouts of utmost climate, altering client tastes and global trade disruptions, the Westside, Iowa, farmer faces an surprising danger from the person he backed for U.S. president: Donald Trump.

Dealing with intense frustration from voters over rising on a regular basis prices, Trump declared this fall that beef was too costly and ranchers must lower cattle prices. The value of beef was “greater than we would like it, but it surely’s going to be coming down quickly,” Trump mentioned.

‘Not a contented Trump supporter’

Very like the worth of eggs through the Biden administration, the price of beef has turn out to be an emblem of the affordability disaster in America. Beef costs hit document highs earlier this 12 months because the cattle herd shrank and client demand remained robust.

Trump’s feedback shocked ranchers, who largely voted for the president. Then his administration introduced plans to quadruple low-tariff U.S. imports of beef from Argentina, launched an investigation into meatpackers for worth manipulation, and eliminated duties that Trump imposed over the summer time on imports of Brazilian beef.

The sequence of strikes knocked down cattle markets however didn’t considerably decrease the price of beef at grocery shops, inflicting ranchers, sometimes straight shooters, to talk up.

“It could have been good if Trump hadn’t mentioned something,” Vetter mentioned. “I’m nonetheless a Trump supporter. I’m simply not a contented Trump supporter.”

Reuters spoke with a complete of eight ranchers who mentioned they nonetheless backed Trump, although he harm costs for his or her cattle.

On the day Trump first mentioned his administration was working to decrease costs, Feeder cattle futures dropped by an exchange-imposed most that limits how far costs can fall every day. They sank by 21 per cent over slightly greater than a month after reaching a excessive on October 16.

Ranchers really feel the warmth

The selloff sliced income for ranchers, pushed livestock consumers from making purchases, and chased away speculative merchants as cattle markets turned more and more risky, cattle producers and merchants mentioned.

“It’s affected the worth that we as ranchers are getting; it’s affected what feedlots are getting; but it surely hasn’t carried out something that I’ve seen or heard about but to affect what the shoppers are paying,” mentioned Marty Smith, 66, whose household has been ranching in Wacahoota, Florida, for 175 years.

Cattle futures began rising in late November following their steep slide however stay under the place they had been earlier than Trump’s feedback. Economists mentioned it might probably take months for retail beef costs to replicate the setback in cattle markets. Impacts on retail costs would even be much less dramatic as a result of meatpackers, wholesale distributors and retailers stand between ranchers and shoppers and add to prices, they mentioned.

Many cattle ranchers additionally increase crops, and cattle had been a vivid spot for his or her companies as grain and soybean costs slumped as a consequence of giant provides and Trump’s commerce insurance policies. Trump unveiled a $12 billion aid package supposed principally for crop growers this month.

Cattle costs had reached document highs all through 2025 after years of drought dried up grazing lands and compelled producers to slash the nation’s herd to its smallest measurement in a long time. Because of the decline, the U.S. for the primary time in 2025 misplaced its spot because the world’s largest beef producer to Brazil, based on U.S. authorities estimates.

Cattle provides tightened additional after the Trump administration halted U.S. imports of Mexican livestock to maintain out New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite.

As tight provides raised prices for meat processors, Tyson Meals mentioned in November it might completely shut a significant U.S. beef plant, eradicating a marketplace for cattle. The U.S. Division of Agriculture this month lowered its estimates for cattle costs via 2026 partially due to the approaching closure.

Trump has accused meatpackers comparable to Tyson of driving up beef costs via manipulation and collusion, and ordered the Justice Division to analyze. Meatpackers mentioned their business is closely regulated, and transactions are clear.

Sticker shock within the grocery aisle

The retail price of floor beef in November climbed to $6.54 per pound (C$8.94) from $5.63 per pound a 12 months earlier, up 16 per cent, based on the most recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For boneless stew meat, retail costs jumped 23 per cent to $9.17 per pound (C$12.54) from $7.43 per pound.

Since Trump’s feedback in mid-October, wholesale costs for choose cuts of beef shipped to consumers in giant containers had been up 0.5 per cent as of Monday, whereas wholesale costs for selection boxed beef eased one per cent, based on U.S. information.

Excessive costs for a spread of products, together with beef, espresso and electrical energy, have upset shoppers and pissed off Trump. A current Commerce Division report confirmed annual inflation rose at its quickest tempo in almost 1-1/2 years in September.

Democrats exploited voters’ angst in regards to the economic system in current state and native election victories, campaigning in 2024 on a pledge to decrease client costs.

“The Trump administration is taking a whole-of-government strategy to decreasing beef costs, with a number of businesses slashing laws, supporting small processing amenities, and taking different actions to assist each ranchers and shoppers,” White Home spokesperson Anna Kelly mentioned.

Who will rebuild the herd?

Ranchers felt beef was focused unfairly as a result of prices had been excessive for quite a few items.

“It’s a sock within the intestine for all of us,” mentioned Dean Meyer, 62, a Rock Rapids, Iowa-based cattle feeder who quickly paused shopping for cattle final month as a consequence of elevated uncertainty and falling costs.

Eight ranchers in rural America mentioned that they nonetheless supported Trump due to his stances on immigration and different points, after voting for him within the final presidential race. However for a few of them, Trump’s interference within the beef market shook their confidence in him.

“He’s waged struggle towards a bunch of producers that actually haven’t any actual impact on the worth of beef within the retailer,” mentioned Todd Hertzog, proprietor and operator of beef processor Hertzog Meat Firm in Butler, Missouri.

A fledgling effort to rebuild the nation’s cattle herd , which economists say would ultimately assist scale back beef costs, is in danger after Trump injected uncertainty into the market over imports, ranchers and economists mentioned.

Falling cattle costs didn’t assist.

Vetter, who buys younger cattle to fatten on the market to meatpacker Cargill, mentioned he paid about $2,500 per head for 450 steers weighing about 500 kilos every across the finish of October. By the top of November, the worth had dropped by about $300.

On the similar time, meatpackers had been prepared to pay much less to purchase cattle that Vetter feeds to weigh about 1,650 kilos.

Reached simply earlier than Thanksgiving, Vetter mentioned that he was dealing with potential losses of $250,000 on his current cattle purchases after costs tumbled.

“The president can do no matter he needs but it surely’s going to be onerous to construct the cow herd if we don’t have some stability,” Vetter mentioned. “I’m going to push a pencil actually onerous earlier than I purchase that subsequent set of calves.”

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