The Florida Association of Livestock Markets (FALM) strongly opposes the Administration's recently announced plan to allow up to 300,000 metric tons of additional beef into the United States without the normal out-of-quota tariff over a 90-day period.
FALM recognizes the Administration's desire to address the cost of food for American families. However, increasing foreign beef imports for the specific purpose of lowering domestic beef prices is not a sound solution and risks creating unnecessary disruption throughout the U.S. cattle industry.
America's cattle producers have endured years of drought, rising input costs, higher interest rates, increased transportation expenses, regulatory pressures, and historically tight cattle supplies. The U.S. cattle herd remains at historically low levels, and producers are now receiving the market signals necessary to begin retaining females, rebuilding herds, and investing in future production.
Government intervention designed to artificially lower beef prices risks undermining those market signals at precisely the time American producers need confidence to rebuild.
FALM believes the cattle market should be allowed to work.
Livestock auction markets serve as an essential part of competitive price discovery throughout the cattle industry. Every week, livestock markets across Florida bring producers and buyers together in an open and competitive marketplace where cattle values are established through competition.
Policies designed to artificially influence cattle or beef prices threaten that system and create uncertainty for producers, buyers, livestock markets, and rural communities.
Furthermore, increasing imports does not address the fundamental reason beef supplies are tight. The United States needs more cattle. Rebuilding the American cattle herd requires time, investment, favorable market conditions, and confidence from producers that they will have an opportunity to receive a return on that investment.
We cannot encourage American cattle producers to rebuild the nation's herd while simultaneously pursuing policies intended to reduce the value of the product they produce.
FALM supports international trade and recognizes the important role trade plays in the U.S. beef industry. American cattle producers benefit from access to foreign markets, and international trade can strengthen our industry when conducted fairly and under consistent, science-based standards.
However, there is a significant difference between fair trade and government action that increases imports specifically to influence domestic prices.
FALM believes federal policy should focus on strengthening American cattle production, protecting the health of the U.S. cattle herd, maintaining competitive livestock markets, expanding domestic processing capacity, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, and lowering the costs associated with producing and transporting cattle in the United States.
The long-term solution to beef affordability is a strong and growing American cattle industry.
FALM respectfully urges President Trump and his Administration to reconsider this plan and instead work with cattle producers, livestock markets, and other industry stakeholders on policies that strengthen domestic production and allow the free market to work.
Florida's livestock markets stand with America's cattle producers and alongside the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, United States Cattlemen's Association, Livestock Market Association, R-CALF, Florida Cattlemen’s Association, and the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.
Our message is straightforward:
Let cattle producers produce. Let livestock markets compete. Let the market work. Strengthen American beef production.
Sincerely,
Arcadia Stockyard, Cattlemen's Livestock Market, Columbia Livestock Market, Ocala Stockyard, Okeechobee Livestock Market, Sumter County Farmers Market, Townsend Livestock Market
