The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is pushing back against the Trump administration’s plan to increase ground beef imports, arguing that imports will not solve high beef prices and could discourage cattle producers from rebuilding the U.S. herd. “We’re not going to import our way to lower beef prices,” explained NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “This is only going to prolong the issue; it’s going to send the message to the countryside and producers to hold off on rebuilding. That’s unfortunate.” Beef producers have incentives available to expand the herd, but government intervention could undermine those market signals. “We’ve got a robust tax code in place now that should empower a lot of producers to start expansion and encourage retention, but at this point, the more the government keeps sticking its nose into the market, the harder it’s going to be.”
