BEEF baloney
Cattle futures reactions — along with social media angst over the beef price kerfuffle and the President’s comments about imports from Argentina and “getting prices down” — have me scratching my head. Who’s advising him on this? Why would he tweet to cattle producers that they need to understand this? Surely they’ve got some rough years to catch up on if they’ll be able to keep up with rising demand. The rhetoric is concerning, but its just baloney — not something that’s going to change the short-term cost of bologna.
The only beef price category consumers might see impacted is on the low end — trimmings and ground beef. Yes, dairy farmers, that’s where much of your cull cow beef goes. But even there, the talk of more Argentine imports is still limited by reality to make only a small dent overall.
These current beef prices are demand-driven — that’s a fact. ERS data show consumption rising even as cattle numbers fall. Ag Sec. Brooke Rollins cited beef demand growth of 9% over the past decade as consumers seek high-protein, nutrient-dense, whole foods — aka BEEF.
If beef feels pricey, consumers still have affordable, nutrient-dense complete protein options: dairy, eggs, poultry, pork. The real question the President should be concerned about is: Will they have farmers?
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