Beef producers in the US Midwest say President Trump's decision to let more cheap beef into the country has hurt them, NPR reports, weeks before the midterms.
In August the administration suspended tariffs on up to 300,000 tonnes of imported lean beef trimmings to bring down ground beef prices, which are around $6.80 a pound. Scott Birker, who raises cattle near Garrison, Iowa, and is a regional vice-president of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association, said the surprise move hit a tight and volatile market hard.
Iowa State University economist Zach Raff said the US beef herd is at a 75-year low after drought raised feed costs. He warned that policy uncertainty could lead farmers to sell heifers for slaughter rather than rebuild herds, which would keep prices high for longer. Lost sales to China have added to the strain.
Source: NPR
Photo: High Trestle Trail Bridge, Madrid, Iowa, United States (Unsplash F9o7u-CnDJk) by Tony Webster tonywebster, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Iowa.
