R CALF urges reforms to stabilize domestic beef production
R CALF USA, a national cattle association representing ranchers, is calling on the government to take meaningful steps to address rising beef prices by reforming the nation’s beef market. The organization expressed appreciation for the administration’s interest in stabilizing prices but emphasized that lowering them through imports could worsen the underlying issues.
The association explained that the United States has reduced its beef cow herd to one of the lowest levels in decades, leaving domestic supply unable to meet demand. The real cause, it stated, lies in decades of trade policies that allowed cheaper, undifferentiated imports to replace domestic beef, pushing many farmers and ranchers out of business.
R CALF also pointed to monopolistic control among major beef packers and retailers. In earlier decades, cattle producers received over 60% of the consumer beef dollar, with packers and retailers taking less than 40%. Today, that share has reversed—producers receive less than 40%, while packers and retailers take the majority.
According to R CALF, this imbalance allows corporations to profit at both ends of the supply chain—undermining ranchers while overcharging consumers. Simply increasing imports, the group warned, will accelerate the collapse of the domestic beef sector.