In its efforts to curb the price of hamburger, the Trump administration recently announced a plan to import beef from Argentina, something that hasn't gone over well with Wyoming ranchers.
Hear the ranchers express their concerns:
Some say the lack of beef isn't the issue and are concerned about how the imports will affect American ranchers.
“There's nothing that I enjoy more than being out (ranching),” said Dana Kerns, “And you hate to say it, but I even enjoy it when it's 30 below zero. And that's why I'm still at age 70 doing it, because I enjoy it.”
Kerns is a fifth-generation cattle rancher, operating 10 miles south of Lodge Grass in Montana and also in Wyoming.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor says beef prices are at their highest since the 1980s. Under the Biden administration, prices rose 13 percent, followed by another 7 percent during Trump's second term.
Trump's proclamation, announced a few weeks ago, would allow 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings from Argentina to come into the United States this year to try to bring down the price of lean ground beef.
“The total pounds they're talking about bringing in are a drop in the bucket as far as our actual supply in the United States,” said Taylor Kerns, Dana’s son. “So it's nothing more than a political move.”
Some cattle experts also doubt the imports will reduce prices, but they understand the need to bring in lean beef trimmings.
“If we didn't have imported lean, we would have to take other cuts of our beef and use those to make ground beef out of,” said Jim Magagna, Wyoming Stockgrowers Association president.
Magagna also has some concerns because he says inspection standards are lower in Argentina than in the United States.
“Disease can be brought in in many ways, and then once it gets here, spreads and eventually gets to live cows,” Magana said. “That would be one concern.”
While he doesn't think that will happen, he says if it did, that could lead to recalls of ground beef, which would hurt consumer confidence in U.S. beef.
Kern's son Taylor says the imports will not benefit the rancher, just the meatpackers.
“It only ends up perpetuating the problem with the consumer because by bringing in more Argentinian beef, all you're doing is continuing to line the pockets of the big four.”
Taylor Kerns and his brother Trent are now sixth-generation ranchers, and their children could be the seventh generation in the family.
They say despite the difficulties in raising cattle, the family loves it.
“There's a challenge, but there's a real sense of feeling that of a real reward of taking care of God's creatures and providing the main staple in any society is food.” Dana Kerns said.
