Local Beef Bypasses Import Debate
President Donald Trump’s plan to temporarily allow as much as 300,000 metric tons of imported beef into the United States has drawn criticism from cattle producers who say the move could hurt American ranchers without delivering meaningful savings to consumers.
But Olney-area families who want to know where their beef comes from have options close to home, local rancher Shad Sullivan and Stewart’s Food Store General Manager Jason Pack said.
Mr. Trump announced Aug. 21 that the imported beef, intended primarily for ground beef production, would be allowed into the country without the usual out-of-quota tariff for 90 days. The president said the additional supply would help lower prices while the nation’s depleted cattle herd rebuilds. R-CALF USA contends that increasing imports could weaken cattle prices and discourage ranchers from expanding their herds.
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said imported beef already has reached record levels while retail prices have continued to rise and the U.S. cattle herd has continued to shrink. He said the policy could provide multinational meatpackers with cheaper supplies without guaranteeing lower prices at the grocery store.
Mr. Sullivan, an Olney rancher and R-CALF USA member, said during an interview on “Olney On Air” that consumers can take more control over their food supply by buying directly from American ranchers and locally owned processors.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic and its supply-chain disruptions, more ranchers began selling directly to consumers, he said.
“We have seen an explosion of these local producers selling their product,” Mr. Sullivan said.
Families can begin their search at USABeef.org, an R-CALF USA-supported website that connects consumers with American ranchers and beef producers. Visitors can enter their ZIP code to locate producers in their region.
“It will link you to local producers,” Mr. Sullivan said. “It’s a phenomenal time that we’re living in.”
Another online intermediary, From-TheFarm.org, connects consumers with farmers and ranchers across the country, he said.
Mr. Sullivan said North Texas also has a growing network of small processors. He identified processors in Henrietta, Nocona, Seymour, Windthorst and Scotland among the choices available to area families.
“You can go right over there to Windthorst or Scotland and buy it in the store,” he said. Consumers also can contact ranchers directly to ask what beef they have available.
Buying a quarter, half or whole beef may require a larger initial payment and enough freezer space, but families can save money over time by purchasing in bulk, Mr. Sullivan said. They also can specify how they want the animal processed and know who raised it and where it was processed.
“If you know where your safe and healthy beef comes from, you will pay a little bit more for that beef,” he said.
Local shoppers who prefer to purchase meat a package at a time also will have a domestic option at Stewart’s Food Store.
Mr. Pack said Stewart’s does not plan to carry beef imported under the president’s program. The store intends to continue obtaining its beef from the Amarillo-area producers who already supply its meat department.
The administration also recently took steps intended to expand opportunities for ranchers and small processors. Mr. Trump’s Sept. 4 executive order, “Promoting Fair Competition in Livestock Markets and Expanding Market Access for American Meat Producers,” directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reduce obstacles faced by ranchers who want to process and market their own beef.
The order does not immediately allow ranchers to bypass inspection or food-safety laws. Instead, it directs USDA to expand participation in state and federal inspection programs, offer technical assistance to small processors, create a public directory of slaughter and processing facilities and explore ways for more state-inspected meat to be sold across state lines. It also calls for a guaranteed-loan program to help small and regional processors remain open or expand. Federal Register Those changes support the local and regional processing system Mr. Sullivan described — one that gives ranchers more ways to sell their cattle and consumers more ways to identify the source of their beef.
“The key is to make sure that these American consumers get what they want,” Mr. Sullivan said.