Growing uncertainty about consumer demand and future policy direction is leaving many beef producers cautious about expanding herds. Gulke Group founder Jerry Gulke says volatility in the cattle market is also making long-term decisions increasingly difficult. Inflation and rising food costs are also creating added pressure for policymakers. “With the election coming, you’ve got to ask yourself, is Trump going to want to do anything to make things worse by the time we go to elections next fall from the consumer?” Gulke said. “There are more consumers out there than there are farmers.”
