Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
American ranchers are facing the smallest cattle herd in 75 years, driving up beef prices across the country. To lower costs, President Trump announced he will waive higher tariffs on imported ground beef for 90 days. President Trump posted to Truth Social that 300,000 metric tons of beef will be sold at 25% below current market prices, following a month where USDA Choice beef averaged $10.49 per pound.
U.S. ranchers and industry groups have expressed strong opposition to the short-term plan. The American Farm Bureau Association notes the U.S. is already importing record amounts of foreign beef and warns the measure could deal a long-term blow to the industry. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association also criticized the move, stating, "While America’s cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd."
According to the Department of Agriculture, the country entered 2026 with over 86 million cattle and calves, down eight million from 2019. Ranchers state that rebuilding the herd could easily take a decade since it takes at least two years to produce a cow for slaughter. North Dakota rancher Travis Maddock explained that ongoing drought is delaying expansion, while Williamsport, Tennessee rancher Trevor Pennington cited heavy rains and younger generations refusing the workload as reasons why many are selling land to developers.
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American ranchers are facing the smallest cattle herd in 75 years, driving up beef prices across the country. To lower costs, President Trump announced he will waive higher tariffs on imported ground beef for 90 days. President Trump posted to Truth Social that 300,000 metric tons of beef will be sold at 25% below current market prices, following a month where USDA Choice beef averaged $10.49 per pound.
U.S. ranchers and industry groups have expressed strong opposition to the short-term plan. The American Farm Bureau Association notes the U.S. is already importing record amounts of foreign beef and warns the measure could deal a long-term blow to the industry. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association also criticized the move, stating, "While America’s cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd."
According to the Department of Agriculture, the country entered 2026 with over 86 million cattle and calves, down eight million from 2019. Ranchers state that rebuilding the herd could easily take a decade since it takes at least two years to produce a cow for slaughter. North Dakota rancher Travis Maddock explained that ongoing drought is delaying expansion, while Williamsport, Tennessee rancher Trevor Pennington cited heavy rains and younger generations refusing the workload as reasons why many are selling land to developers.
Subscribe to FOX 10 Phoenix!
youtube.com/channel/UCNjfNLnQYbjBEvnS8KFuyGQ?sub_confirmation=1
#fox10phoenix #cattle #beefprices #economy #news #herd #farming #ranching
FOX 10 Phoenix delivers breaking news, live events, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from Phoenix, Arizona and across the nation.
Watch more FOX 10 Phoenix on YouTube:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjk-Nxa5HqPspsiXA-zX6H0bKdtUu-8rF
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjk-Nxa5HqPtq-kkrH0cQ3ZIYpLj5MGVT
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjk-Nxa5HqPtUghAGmV3byRgXEYXhZFT3
