In response to cattle ranchers' pushback over the administration's pause on tariffs on beef imports, President Donald Trump announced Friday that he would make it easier for them to process their own meat.
Allison Fender, a third-generation cattle rancher in Santa Ysabel, said that’s not so easy. She's the owner of Flying F Ranch.
“Cattle are sold at auction, and then from auction goes to a feedlot, and then from a feedlot goes to a processor, and then from the processor it goes to the cut and wrap facility,” she said. “And then from there it goes to the grocery store.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the meat processors a “nasty monopoly.” Four firms process 85% of the beef in the U.S.
Meat processing has strict safety requirements and inspections, so it’s unclear how the president will implement his plans.
Fender said the government should investigate the consolidation of meat processors. Many say that’s why prices are increasing.
“If we have more supply with processing facilities, we're able to get that American beef to consumers, which is what our American consumers really want,” she said.
On Wednesday, Trump signed a proclamation pausing tariffs on certain ground beef products for 90 days to lower consumer costs. Fender said that undermines ranchers.
“It kind of makes us feel that we are not doing enough, even though we’re busting our butts every day,” she said.
Trump said he would reconsider ending the tariff pause if it didn’t result in lower prices. But that kind of volatility makes it hard for cattle ranchers to plan long-term. It takes many months to raise cattle from calves to when they are ready to be butchered.
