{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/usda-cattle-plan-agricultural-agency-unveils-plan-reinvigorate-cattle-industry", "USDA cattle plan: The agricultural agency unveils plan to reinvigorate cattle industry", "2025-10-24", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "By Carrie Stadheim, Editor and Rachel Gabel, The Fence Post Assistant Editor\n\nThe US Department of Agriculture revealed a plan on Oct. 22, 2025, to \u201cfortify\u201d the American beef industry, strengthen ranches, rebuild capacity and lower costs for consumers.\n\nThe plan announcement comes on the heels of several attention-grabbing comments from President Trump including a statement to reporters on Oct. 16 that he had worked his \u201cmagic\u201d to lower beef prices, and then a comment on Oct. 19 that he planned to \u201cbuy some beef from Argentina.\u201d\n\nAgricultural members of social media platforms discussed little else for days on end \u2013 speculating on what kind of deal the president was actually inking, and how it would affect cattle prices. Meanwhile as heated discussions ensued, cattle futures took some hits with live cattle prices remaining strong as a whole, but smaller packages and \u201cmisfits\u201d were reported to be slightly devalued when compared to recent months.\n\nAccording to USDA, Foot and Mouth disease is not active in Argentina, but it, along with many other countries are considered \u201cfree but subject to restrictions,\u201d with the explanation from USDA below:\n\n\u201cThe regions listed under paragraph (a)(2) of this section have been declared free of foot-and-mouth disease by APHIS as provided in \u00a7 94.1(a) but supplement their national meat supply by the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) meat of ruminants or swine from regions that APHIS considers to be affected with foot-and-mouth disease as provided in \u00a7 94.1(a); or have a common land border with regions considered to be affected with foot-and-mouth disease; or import ruminants or swine from regions considered to be affected with foot-and-mouth disease under conditions less restrictive than would be acceptable for importation into the United States. Thus, the meat may be commingled with the fresh (chilled or frozen) meat of animals from an affected region, resulting in an undue risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease into the United States,\u201d said the USDA import rule.\n\nCattle and beef groups say importing beef is not a guarantee of lower prices at the meat counter. Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association told The Fence Post that quadrupling of the quota for Argentinian beef will have a \u201cnegligible impact\u201d on \u201cthe cattle supply chain and the consumer price paid at the grocery store\u2026the fact is we are not talking about a tremendous amount of beef, but we\u2019re talking about additional beef coming from a trading partner that we\u2019ve had long-standing concerns with,\u201d he said they are \u201cnot good stewards of cattle health\u201d and referenced trade imbalance with the country.\n\nR-CALF pointed out that the importation of beef has been ongoing for many, many years. \u201cFor decades, the government has been inviting imports from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Namibia, claiming these increased imports would provide consumers more choices and lower consumer beef prices. This did not work and cannot work in a market where these imports are not differentiated with a country of origin labeling and where competitive market forces have been replaced with corporate control by concentrated global beef packers and concentrated beef retailers,\u201d said Bill Bullard, the group\u2019s CEO in a prepared statement.\n\nThe USDA cattle and beef plan includes:\n\n1. USDA-DOI Grazing Action plan\n\nAction items: USDA and the Department of Interior signed a Memorandum of Understanding to streamline and expand grazing on federal lands.\n\nUSDA will set up regional meetings to identify producer priorities, create a joint (USDA-DOI) customer interface for grazing permit holders, develop new standards of evidence for predation of livestock.\n\nThe Risk Management Agency has expanded the beginning farmer definition from five years to 10 years.\n\n2. Consumer transparency\n\nAction items: Beginning January 1, 2026, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service will enforce compliance on \u201cproduct of the USA claims\u201d to ensure origin claims are accurate. This is not mandatory Country of Origin Labeling. It is a strengthening of voluntary labeling rules.\n\nReduce overtime and holiday inspection fees for small processors.\n\nCreate a grant application for as many as 50 small beef processors to receive up to $2 million per processor.\n\n3. Build Demand alongside domestic supply\n\nAction items: encouraging schools to source locally grown foods.\n\nNew Dietary Guidelines to be released Dec. 31, 2025.\n\nJack Payne, a rancher and owner of Nevada Livestock Exchange and Hayden Ballard, a rancher and federal lands attorney from Utah, were invited to a private meeting with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert. Kennedy, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Kelly Loeffler, the U.S. Secretary of the Small Business Administration.\n\nPayne and Ballard then spoke briefly with President Trump. Payne said he and the president talked momentarily about the effect tariffs and the closure of the Mexican border have had on cattle prices.\n\nPayne said with only about an hour to speak with the Secretaries, he and Ballard were obviously unable to adequately describe all of the challenges facing the U.S. cattle industry.\n\nBecause both men had met with Secretary Rollins about six weeks ago, their meeting this past week was a review of those issues they had prioritized earlier, including: restoring suspended and vacant federal grazing allotments, addressing feral horses on federal lands, updating the Endangered Species Act, meat labeling reform, the 30-month rule and checkoff reform.\n\nBallard said, \u201cThe general message from us was we need to restore confidence in our domestic producers and we need to restore confidence in the markets, but we also need to restore confidence for our federal land grazers that they do have a future raising cattle on these allotments,\u201d he added. \u201cTo do that we need\u2026well, there\u2019s several things we need, but\u2026to do that, importing beef is not the answer. We already import far more than we should, in my humble opinion.\u201d\n\nHe said for the SBA, the priority seems to be to deregulate wherever possible to support small businesses; the USDA\u2019s priority seems to be increasing opportunities for young ranchers to enter the business and provide regulatory relief; from Sec. Kennedy, the focus seems to be improving the dietary guidelines in a way that promotes protein consumption.\n\nAs a group, he said the conversation this week reiterated economics, national monument designation, grazing challenges with personnel either unduly influenced by NGOs or who are antigrazing, and ensuring the success of ranchers outside of issuing relief checks.\n\n\u201cMy read of the entire USDA at this point is they realize that ranchers don\u2019t want a check \u2013 and when I say we don\u2019t want more money, we don\u2019t want more government money, we don\u2019t want a handout, we don\u2019t want more subsidies \u2013 just give us a level playing field,\u201d he said.\n\nIn previous conversations, Payne and Ballard highlighted the need to re-work the Endangered Species Act. The regulation is used as a tool to force ranchers off federal and private land, and many examples exist of revitalized species that are never delisted, which means land use restrictions are ongoing. They specifically pointed out the need to delist the wolf in light of extreme wolf depredation in areas around the country including California, Colorado and more, and re-introduction of known killing packs in the heart of Colorado.\n\nThe ranchers urged support for common sense policies dealing with feral horses on federal lands. Negligence in managing the horses and land has led to unfit conditions on federal lands and in feedlots for the wild equines.\n\nBeef labeling was discussed. Payne said consumers need to understand that they are being misinformed with deceptive labeling and USDA labels that consumers assume are an indication of a USA product.\n\nPayne, who was sorting cattle for a feeder calf sale the following day (Oct. 24, 2025) acknowledged that his consignors are nervous for the sale, and justifiably so. \u201cThis is a rancher\u2019s income. The get a check a couple of times a year. A blip or a dip in the market makes a big difference. People who aren\u2019t in the cattle industry don\u2019t understand that,\u201d he said. Payne said he expects the cash price for cattle to remain strong, but he understands why producers and feeders are gun-shy after \u201cblack swan\u201d events have crashed rising markets in recent years.\n\nPayne does admit the USDA plan looks subsidy heavy, and he hopes the concentration on policy is the priority.\n\n\u201cI would rather see tax breaks for young producers,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of giving us money, let us keep our own.\u201d\n\nA.J. Richards, CEO of From the Farm traveled to Washington along with Payne and Ballard. He had also taken part in the earlier meeting with Rollins. He is encouraged to see the rapid response from USDA following their previous discussions. \u201cThe plan that was rolled out is a great starting point. The fact that we are only six weeks out from meeting with the Secretary for the first time, and USDA has quickly compiled some solutions is exciting. Really, the big news is the fact that USDA wants to hear from ranchers. As far as I can tell, this is the first time we\u2019ve been heard by USDA in decades. The independents are being heard and actions are being taken, but it won\u2019t get fixed overnight. We\u2019ve got decades of corruption that will take time to uwind and do it in a way that doesn\u2019t collapse our food system,\u201d he said.\n\nRichards knows some producers are watching and thinking USDA isn\u2019t doing enough and isn\u2019t moving at the speed they would like to see. But he said in reality, this week\u2019s actions are a great step and indication that USDA is hearing from the independent producer. \u201cOn the producer side, there is so much going on, and because of decades of mistreatment, everyone is on edge. Producers would like to see everything done \u2018right now\u2019 but considerations need to be taken so we don\u2019t collapse the food system. We need to focus on the fact that we\u2019re being heard. Secretary Rollins has been in this position less than a year, and she has wrapped her mind around this very complicated industry. In less than a year, she is actually making meaningful change,\u201d he said.\n\nA dozen members of the Common Ground Coalition, a group of beef and cattle spokesman who have obtained producers signatures in support of ag friendly tax policy, more effective risk management tools, improved access to labor, flexibility for livestock haulers and support for young and emerging livestock producers met with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb), Rep. Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio).\n\nAccording to the group\u2019s news release, their trip happened to coincide with Trump\u2019s comments on Argentinian imports. \u201cThe most effective way to make beef more affordable isn\u2019t by artificially manipulating the market with imported product,\u201d said Montana\u2019s Joe Goggins in a news release.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s by helping America\u2019s cattle producers enter and stay in the business of raising cattle. When producers can operate efficiently here at home, everyone benefits \u2013 ranchers stay in business, rural communities stay strong and consumers get access to high-quality, affordable U.S. beef,\u201d said Goggins in the news release.\n\nThe NCBA sharply criticized the President for his Argentina import suggestion. On Newsmax, Colin Woodall, NCBA CEO said his organization wants the President to know that bringing in extra beef from Argentina won\u2019t reduce prices for consumers. He said producers \u201cdon\u2019t get to set the price of beef at the grocery store or restaurants.\u201d\n\nHe said the U.S. cattle industry has worked \u201cfor decades\u201d to improve its product, and that the quality of beef in the grocery store is better today than in President Trump\u2019s first term.\n\nIn order to lower the price of beef for consumers, Woodall said his group urges the administration to address regulatory burden: delist the wolf, address the black vulture \u201cscourge,\u201d and allow more federal lands grazing.\n\nThe U.S. Cattlemen\u2019s Association said on Facebook: \u201cWe welcome USDA\u2019s new plan\u2026however, reports of a potential deal to import 80,000 metric tons of beef from Argentina \u2013 four times the current quota \u2013 have overshadowed yesterday\u2019s announcement.\n\n\u201cA deal of this magnitude would undercut family ranchers and threaten the foundation of American cattle production,\u201d said USCA President Justin Tupper. \u201cFlooding the market with imports harms U.S. producers and rural communities. Our policies must strengthen \u2013 not risk- American agriculture.\u201d\n\nThe Livestock Marketing Association said on Facebook that it is ready to work with the Trump administration on actionable solutions such as improved access to labor, more flexibility for livestock haulers, support for young and emerging livestock producers and protecting the competitive cash market.\n\nR-CALF USA Vice President Eric Gropper told TSLN, the real story of the day is this: \u201cThe U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, for the first time in my lifetime, is listening to actual ranchers who own the cattle, who do the day-to-day work. She knows there is a difference between the ranching family who lives off a once-a-year calf check and a paid lobbyist. She wants to hear our ideas and solutions. We couldn\u2019t be more appreciative of that fact,\u201d he said.\n\nGropper added that the discussion about imported beef has opened the eyes of consumers who previously didn\u2019t realize imported beef existed in this country, and should help gain support for one of their main issues \u2013 mandatory country of origin labeling.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/usda-cattle-plan-agricultural-agency-unveils-plan-reinvigorate-cattle-industry"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8373837918043137, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}