American Hardwood said:

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Sq 17 said:

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Also the corporate interests are having to close packing plants because even at $7 for ground beef the packers are saying they are losing money


The issues in cattle is not about price fixing issue ( IMO ) it is about a business model that was destined to fail eventually. There is not enough money in the cow-calf business to make it worth the land owners interest to be In the cow calf business ( It is at best a very time consuming hobby with a terrible annual ROI)
People getting old and getting out of the business has sent herd numbers down and calf prices through the roof.
I think eventually people just start eating less beef and a new normal emerges but for now more people wanting beef than current herd size can deliver

---

Being in the cow-calf ranching business, we are making pretty good money right now. But there is an economy of scale to it. Smaller herds are where you might find that the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I find it a little hard to believe that the packers are losing money. In normal times, it seemed everyone upstream of the producers were where the money was being made. Can't see how they are losing money unless consumption numbers have dropped due to the prices.

---

This. We're in the small category, but, yes, we are making some money also right now. It's nice to be able to be able to put a little money away for a change, instead of ploughing it all back in. But there aren't nearly as many ranchers as there are people that cry about prices, so guess who is heard.

B-1 83 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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BQ_90 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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Sounds like the beef growers lobby didn't grease the wheels properly and ranchers are now going to get screwed.

---

this won't really have much impact on live cattle prices.

This is to help out McDonalds and other fast food corporations that rely solely on ground beef

---

How is flooding the market with cheap foreign beef not going to impact the price of beef? I can tell you the family members of mine that raise beef are watching this very closely.

---

What is being proposed is hardly "flooding the market" because it's just hamburger. Where do you think a huge percentage of our hamburger comes from? Hint: It's not that choice feedlot steer or heifer and nothing you'd likely want a steak from. This might have a desirable impact on keeping those older cows another year and putting another calf out there in the process.

---

It's all just for show at this point. I know where my hamburger comes from. I've seen it from the moment it hit the ground until it walks in the butcher door.

---

I used to know the same thing and often petted and talked to my future carnivorous frenzy, but at 65 yo and just me and the wife, that's just not practical anymore. I like to buy my bulk hamburger locally (Moody's) and package it for 2 (2/3#). Steaks are not impacted here, but I buy in bulk, slice, vacuum seal.

---

This is our modus operandi now also. We used to butcher a beef a year, but with just the wife and I, and the prices for live cattle now, it's way more sensible to sell the calf, and buy bulk when they have sales, and vacuum pack like you say.

jagsdad said:

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American Hardwood said:

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Sq 17 said:

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Also the corporate interests are having to close packing plants because even at $7 for ground beef the packers are saying they are losing money


The issues in cattle is not about price fixing issue ( IMO ) it is about a business model that was destined to fail eventually. There is not enough money in the cow-calf business to make it worth the land owners interest to be In the cow calf business ( It is at best a very time consuming hobby with a terrible annual ROI)
People getting old and getting out of the business has sent herd numbers down and calf prices through the roof.
I think eventually people just start eating less beef and a new normal emerges but for now more people wanting beef than current herd size can deliver

---

Being in the cow-calf ranching business, we are making pretty good money right now. But there is an economy of scale to it. Smaller herds are where you might find that the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I find it a little hard to believe that the packers are losing money. In normal times, it seemed everyone upstream of the producers were where the money was being made. Can't see how they are losing money unless consumption numbers have dropped due to the prices.

---

This. We're in the small category, but, yes, we are making some money also right now. It's nice to be able to be able to put a little money away for a change, instead of ploughing it all back in. But there aren't nearly as many ranchers as there are people that cry about prices, so guess who is heard.

---

Forgive the ignorance, but are you saying that you guys usually aren't making profits?

I know TV isn't the real world, but thanks to Yellow Stone and other shows, it's made to seem like ranchers make money hand over fist. At least the ones still around.

Most of Yellowstone is bull*****

jagsdad said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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BQ_90 said:

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Hagen95 said:

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Sounds like the beef growers lobby didn't grease the wheels properly and ranchers are now going to get screwed.

---

this won't really have much impact on live cattle prices.

This is to help out McDonalds and other fast food corporations that rely solely on ground beef

---

How is flooding the market with cheap foreign beef not going to impact the price of beef? I can tell you the family members of mine that raise beef are watching this very closely.

---

What is being proposed is hardly "flooding the market" because it's just hamburger. Where do you think a huge percentage of our hamburger comes from? Hint: It's not that choice feedlot steer or heifer and nothing you'd likely want a steak from. This might have a desirable impact on keeping those older cows another year and putting another calf out there in the process.

---

It's all just for show at this point. I know where my hamburger comes from. I've seen it from the moment it hit the ground until it walks in the butcher door.

---

I used to know the same thing and often petted and talked to my future carnivorous frenzy, but at 65 yo and just me and the wife, that's just not practical anymore. I like to buy my bulk hamburger locally (Moody's) and package it for 2 (2/3#). Steaks are not impacted here, but I buy in bulk, slice, vacuum seal.

---

This is our modus operandi now also. We used to butcher a beef a year, but with just the wife and I, and the prices for live cattle now, it's way more sensible to sell the calf, and buy bulk when they have sales, and vacuum pack like you say.

---

I'm planning on buying a kid's show lamb this year and if I can find someone with a meat bandsaw, doing all the processing myself and splitting it with another couple. All in, I can get the cost down to about $6/pound.

Her boss doesn't want to say what country the ground beef is coming from. We deserve to know.

What is "product for ground beef?"

Why is the country it's coming from not being told to the American public?

Most cheap ground beef goes to the fast food industry, and Trump is claiming this will be sold 25% under current free market prices - cool story. So Wall-Street controls the fast food industry so they benefit from this, the multinational packing houses benefit from this, the consumers benefit I guess if these places lower their prices (they won't) - and the American Beef producer gets whacked.



This the cattle futures chart. Just so we are clear hamburger was at the highest price of all-time as futures prices for next spring are off 20% and Tyson shut 3 packing houses down a week ago across the US.

These political dimwits think that farmers are ranchers who are now upside down on all their feeder and fat cattle are going to go out and keep heifers and grow herd prices? We need beef producers keeping heifers and raising more cattle in this country - and we get government intervention against the beef producer.

Government didn't care when diesel fuel, fertilizer, cost of labor, cost of land, cost of equipment went up the beef producers ass - but suddenly they care when that product rises to keep up with inflation also?

Gimme a big fat break. Guess they want the red country vote to become blue, or to give up voting all together. I don't see any other outcome of this.

My first guess is Argentina

Texas12&0 said:

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No Spin Ag said:

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Texas12&0 said:

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No Spin Ag said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Bird Poo said:

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jt16 said:

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This is Trump flat out admitting his tariffs are inflationary

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This

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Good grief…..
Trump just needs to come up with breeds of cattle that take less than 9 months to gestate and less than 2 years to grow out.

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No, but since beef prices have been reaching historic highs since last year, it makes sense that many people are wondering why he's doing this now, right before the midterms.

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Quit trying to spin this, ese!

Edit: Thanks to Biden and the Demwits they intentionally reduced herds because they blew a gasket every time a cow farted.

---

Spin what? That's what El Google eh-said about the prices.

You may have missed others who aren't liberals, on here bringing up the timing. Maybe Trump just found out that prices are high and is doing what he can as soon as he found out? Maybe there are other reasons why he didn't do it sooner, but seeing as how the beef prices will go down for 90 days and the midterms are in 73 days, it does seem very coincidental, que no?

---

What I'm saying is that food prices can't be fixed first day of a new administration with the snap of a finger. Democrats got us in this mess. Trump/Rollins have done a heck of a job with chicken/egg prices, but beef is a different animal. Takes a few years to fix the Demwit mess. Trump is doing what he can. A little extra hamburger meat would be nice, in my book. Who cares if it's done right before elections. Lord knows how the Demwits manipulated interest rates right before elections on top of their political hoaxes.

---

I mean, it could just be that a historic drought played a huge role in all of this.

That time period from 2021 to 2024 pretty much sucked. And it sucked pretty bad for the top five cow/calf states too.






And these drought spikes correlate fairly closely with the overall herd size.

That should come as no surprise. Cows need grass, and when it doesn't rain, grass doesn't grow, and the cows run out of food. So you either have to supplement with hay (if you're lucky to have spare hay on hand, good on you. But if you have to buy hay during a drought, it gets mighty expensive), or sell cows.
I'll give you that Biden didn't help things. But neither he nor Trump can turn the rain machine on or off, despite what the QAnon followers would have you believe.

No Spin Ag said:

---

jagsdad said:

---

American Hardwood said:

---

Sq 17 said:

---

Also the corporate interests are having to close packing plants because even at $7 for ground beef the packers are saying they are losing money


The issues in cattle is not about price fixing issue ( IMO ) it is about a business model that was destined to fail eventually. There is not enough money in the cow-calf business to make it worth the land owners interest to be In the cow calf business ( It is at best a very time consuming hobby with a terrible annual ROI)
People getting old and getting out of the business has sent herd numbers down and calf prices through the roof.
I think eventually people just start eating less beef and a new normal emerges but for now more people wanting beef than current herd size can deliver

---

Being in the cow-calf ranching business, we are making pretty good money right now. But there is an economy of scale to it. Smaller herds are where you might find that the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I find it a little hard to believe that the packers are losing money. In normal times, it seemed everyone upstream of the producers were where the money was being made. Can't see how they are losing money unless consumption numbers have dropped due to the prices.

---

This. We're in the small category, but, yes, we are making some money also right now. It's nice to be able to be able to put a little money away for a change, instead of ploughing it all back in. But there aren't nearly as many ranchers as there are people that cry about prices, so guess who is heard.

---

Forgive the ignorance, but are you saying that you guys usually aren't making profits?

I know TV isn't the real world, but thanks to Yellow Stone and other shows, it's made to seem like ranchers make money hand over fist. At least the ones still around.

---

I can't speak for every rancher, but as for us, at the "normal" price we were getting of around .75 to.80 per pound, we would end up spending most of that for sudan seed and fertilizer for hay. Ag exemptions help, but there are still property taxes to be paid, and I don't have to point out fuel prices. With the prices we are getting now, I was able to have the hay ground sprigged in coastal bermuda, which will cut out some cost. Was also able to put a little in the IRA for a change. So, no, mostly, it just paid for itself, and that's not considering time. And I'm pretty smALL, and don't do nearly the inputs that a good rancher would. As for Yellowstone, remember before John got killed, they were trying to figure out how to pay the property taxes if I recall correctly. Which is weird, because apparently they could in previous years. Yeah, it was a decent show, but it wasn't nearly realistic.

HTownAg98 said:

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jagsdad said:

---

B-1 83 said:

---

Hagen95 said:

---

B-1 83 said:

---

Hagen95 said:

---

BQ_90 said:

---

Hagen95 said:

---

Sounds like the beef growers lobby didn't grease the wheels properly and ranchers are now going to get screwed.

---

this won't really have much impact on live cattle prices.

This is to help out McDonalds and other fast food corporations that rely solely on ground beef

---

How is flooding the market with cheap foreign beef not going to impact the price of beef? I can tell you the family members of mine that raise beef are watching this very closely.

---

What is being proposed is hardly "flooding the market" because it's just hamburger. Where do you think a huge percentage of our hamburger comes from? Hint: It's not that choice feedlot steer or heifer and nothing you'd likely want a steak from. This might have a desirable impact on keeping those older cows another year and putting another calf out there in the process.

---

It's all just for show at this point. I know where my hamburger comes from. I've seen it from the moment it hit the ground until it walks in the butcher door.

---

I used to know the same thing and often petted and talked to my future carnivorous frenzy, but at 65 yo and just me and the wife, that's just not practical anymore. I like to buy my bulk hamburger locally (Moody's) and package it for 2 (2/3#). Steaks are not impacted here, but I buy in bulk, slice, vacuum seal.

---

This is our modus operandi now also. We used to butcher a beef a year, but with just the wife and I, and the prices for live cattle now, it's way more sensible to sell the calf, and buy bulk when they have sales, and vacuum pack like you say.

---

I'm planning on buying a kid's show lamb this year and if I can find someone with a meat bandsaw, doing all the processing myself and splitting it with another couple. All in, I can get the cost down to about $6/pound.

---

This is the way. Good on you for planning and making it work. Plus you're helping that kid.

Deerdude said:

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My first guess is Argentina

---

They would be my guess too, and I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. Most of the meat produced in Argentina is pretty good. But we should know where it's coming from, as there are some places I wouldn't trust to not be mixing meat from other animals into it.

Absolutely the origin should always be disclosed. Let us determine what we eat.

Edit to say that right now I'm concerned with beef coming out of NWS territory. I'm on the Dectomax program to combat the fever tick. As such, the feds have imposed a 35 day withdrawal period before sale. We honor that .
Now the state has come in and is requiring mandatory witnessed Dectomax injection prior to moving cattle from a quarantined area. This would include animals going to market.
So there is zero withdrawal as mandated by TAHC. I think this is wrong. I'd just as soon not feed this beef to either my customers or my family.

support your local argentine ranchers. they need our help too.

TRUMP: “We'll by Argentinian beef.”

Reporters:' What about the US farmers who are suffering?'

Trump: “Argentina is fighting for its life. Do you understand me? They’re dying.”

He says this as 77 American cattle producers are going out of business in the US per day.…

— ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 (@ImBreckWorsham) August 23, 2026

jagsdad said:

---

No Spin Ag said:

---

jagsdad said:

---

American Hardwood said:

---

Sq 17 said:

---

Also the corporate interests are having to close packing plants because even at $7 for ground beef the packers are saying they are losing money


The issues in cattle is not about price fixing issue ( IMO ) it is about a business model that was destined to fail eventually. There is not enough money in the cow-calf business to make it worth the land owners interest to be In the cow calf business ( It is at best a very time consuming hobby with a terrible annual ROI)
People getting old and getting out of the business has sent herd numbers down and calf prices through the roof.
I think eventually people just start eating less beef and a new normal emerges but for now more people wanting beef than current herd size can deliver

---

Being in the cow-calf ranching business, we are making pretty good money right now. But there is an economy of scale to it. Smaller herds are where you might find that the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I find it a little hard to believe that the packers are losing money. In normal times, it seemed everyone upstream of the producers were where the money was being made. Can't see how they are losing money unless consumption numbers have dropped due to the prices.

---

This. We're in the small category, but, yes, we are making some money also right now. It's nice to be able to be able to put a little money away for a change, instead of ploughing it all back in. But there aren't nearly as many ranchers as there are people that cry about prices, so guess who is heard.

---

Forgive the ignorance, but are you saying that you guys usually aren't making profits?

I know TV isn't the real world, but thanks to Yellow Stone and other shows, it's made to seem like ranchers make money hand over fist. At least the ones still around.

---

I can't speak for every rancher, but as for us, at the "normal" price we were getting of around .75 to.80 per pound, we would end up spending most of that for sudan seed and fertilizer for hay. Ag exemptions help, but there are still property taxes to be paid, and I don't have to point out fuel prices. With the prices we are getting now, I was able to have the hay ground sprigged in coastal bermuda, which will cut out some cost. Was also able to put a little in the IRA for a change. So, no, mostly, it just paid for itself, and that's not considering time. And I'm pretty smALL, and don't do nearly the inputs that a good rancher would. As for Yellowstone, remember before John got killed, they were trying to figure out how to pay the property taxes if I recall correctly. Which is weird, because apparently they could in previous years. Yeah, it was a decent show, but it wasn't nearly realistic.

---

Appreciate all the info.

I'm glad you're in a better position and that it gets even better.

Now to see how this administration can make things better all around.

Serious Lee said:

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support your local argentine ranchers. they need our help too.

TRUMP: “We'll by Argentinian beef.”

Reporters:' What about the US farmers who are suffering?'

Trump: “Argentina is fighting for its life. Do you understand me? They’re dying.”

He says this as 77 American cattle producers are going out of business in the US per day.…

— ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 (@ImBreckWorsham) August 23, 2026

---

Well, at least he's looking out for ranchers. Not American ones, unfortunately. Maybe soon he will?

On March 19, 2026, Chinese customs rejected a 22-ton beef shipment from an ArreBeef plant in Argentina after finding it contained chloramphenicol, a dangerous chemical banned in livestock production since 1995.

Guess where Trump says America will now be getting our beef in order…

— ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 (@ImBreckWorsham) August 23, 2026

No Spin Ag said:

---

Serious Lee said:

---

support your local argentine ranchers. they need our help too.

TRUMP: “We'll by Argentinian beef.”

Reporters:' What about the US farmers who are suffering?'

Trump: “Argentina is fighting for its life. Do you understand me? They’re dying.”

He says this as 77 American cattle producers are going out of business in the US per day.…

— ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 (@ImBreckWorsham) August 23, 2026

---

Well, at least he's looking out for ranchers. Not American ones, unfortunately. Maybe soon he will?

---

If it hasn't begun already, soon the Rs in Congress will start talking about handing out another round of tens of billions of dollars in corporate welfare bailouts (which will be added to the $40T national debt) to yet another ag industry sector, this time to beef producers.

HTownAg98 said:

---

Deerdude said:

---

My first guess is Argentina

---

They would be my guess too, and I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. Most of the meat produced in Argentina is pretty good. But we should know where it's coming from, as there are some places I wouldn't trust to not be mixing meat from other animals into it.

---

We should probably check to see what % of the wild mustang herds we just sold for slaughter to foreign meat packers went to Argentina.

I saw somewhere that the primary product we'll be importing is beef trimmings to supplement ground beef vs cuts or whole carcasses. No idea if that's true or not but that would introduce an entirely different degree of uncertainty into the quality of "beef" we'd be getting.

Those third world counties will mix in any kind of meat they can get away with. Raccoons, dog, horse, kangaroo, etc. We have seen it before. Same as a small town Chinese Buffet. lol.
That's why Country of Origin labeling is so important.

Yep. Dog and horse is particularly popular. Guinea Pigs are big in South America as well.

When ground beef is more expensive than steak, then it is the time to shake things up.

Sooooo… make horse meat great again? Also, username checks out, within the context of this conversation.

Trump who was all about bringing back making things here not in foreign country now brings in foreign beef.

When the US can't produce its own beef and keep it affordable……….

I think it's fairly safe to think that when your domestic resources are at their limits, then it's expected to outsource to meet demand.

The issue is that there's no good reason (reasons, yes, but unacceptable reasons) for our inability to meet domestic demand. It's a self inflicted issue, and one we need to remedy sooner than later. Otherwise things get worse and our food supply becomes more vulnerable.

How? It takes years to grow a beef herd? Then longer for those calves to enter the feed yards then to market

There is no good short term fix, but we damn well better figure out a sustainable long term fix in short order. A USA that's unable to maintain sustainable domestic beef production is a disgrace that will have our ancestors rolling in their graves.

Rossticus said:

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The issue is that there's no good reason (reasons, yes, but unacceptable reasons) for our inability to meet domestic demand. It's a self inflicted issue, and one we need to remedy sooner than later. Otherwise things get worse and our food supply becomes more vulnerable.

---

No I agree with you. We just need people in the WH consistently that agree that our domestic food sources should be secure.

100%

Rossticus said:

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There is no good short term fix, but we damn well better figure out a sustainable long term fix in short order. A USA that's unable to maintain sustainable domestic beef production is a disgrace that will have our ancestors rolling in their graves.

---

Got any idea how to turn on the rain machine? Because that will fix things.

Rossticus said:

---

There is no good short term fix, but we damn well better figure out a sustainable long term fix in short order. A USA that's unable to maintain sustainable domestic beef production is a disgrace that will have our ancestors rolling in their graves.

---

We've always had beef imports both box beef and live cattle. If you think this is bad you'll hate to know how much other food we import

The best and most hilarious meme I've seen is based on the " We're the Millers". The Cow-Calf operator is the goofy teen age boy saying
"You guys are getting paid ?"

If you have paid for land , already own a herd , and working equipment. You can make a profit but a terrible ROI considering how much money is tied up in the operation. The paid for land is hopefully appreciating and that is why people are in the "business" but that is not profit

If you have a good operation good equipment and good occasional part time help and can lease land there is money to be made

I still believe that the current situation is largely based on men in there 70's & 80's getting out over the last 10 years
The drought in Texas made it a much easier decision for lots of small operators from 20-24

Another indicator is driving around there are lots of round bales in pastures and fewer cows

Old timers when they get out often sell everything at the barn and the next owner gets in the hay business to maintain their ag exemption

The guy I buy Hay from did not even do a 2nd cutting this year he still has last years bales for sale at $45 delivered
He is not making any money at that price. He is a good mechanic and owns all of the equipment so that is the market price for Hay and like I said he is not making money at $45 a bale. Likely he is getting paid to cut other people's pastures ( again doing it on land you don't own is the way to making a profit )

Lastly almost every "cowboy " I know over the age of 25 has a wife who either works in a school, in Health care, or the county government and that paycheck and health coverage is part of how people are able to be in this "business"

Again it is a business model that makes no sense as a stand alone for profit enterprise

Some cattle operations have a few oil wells on the back of the property that nobody talks about it because it is more fun to talk about being a cowboy than being a guy who gets a royalty check and lives off of that money.

Rossticus said:

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Yep. Dog and horse is particularly popular. Guinea Pigs are big in South America as well.

---

The homestead people are saying that rabbit is the answer as the protein options to go with your chickens

BQ_90 said:

---

Rossticus said:

---

There is no good short term fix, but we damn well better figure out a sustainable long term fix in short order. A USA that's unable to maintain sustainable domestic beef production is a disgrace that will have our ancestors rolling in their graves.

---

We've always had beef imports both box beef and live cattle. If you think this is bad you'll hate to know how much other food we import

---

Of course. But we continue to move in the direction of greater dependence on imported commodities of which we've historically maintained a high degree of independent domestic production. Just seems like an incremental creep towards an undesirable end state.