Marie Moyer
BENTON COUNTY, Mo, (KMIZ)
Some ranchers and Republican lawmakers are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s announcement considering beef import deal with Argentina on Sunday.
Details of the plan, like import costs or implementation dates were not mentioned; however, the deal hopes to bring down U.S. beef prices.
According to the USDA data, beef prices have gone up for all cuts across the board. From August 2023- August 2025, ground beef increased from around $5.07 per pound to $6.32 per pound. Sirloin also saw a jump from around $11.43 per pound to around $14.32 per pound.
“I helped them [U.S. cattle ranchers] a lot, I put tariffs on things coming into the country, including beef, and that gave them a chance to finally have a decent industry,” Trump said Wednesday to national media. “They’ve been able to have an industry, but I also want to keep the beef prices low.”
Opponents of the plan argue that cheaper beef may come at the cost of the nation’s $112 billion beef industry and local ranchers across the nation. Missouri ranks in the Top 10 of the nation’s leading beef producers.
“I felt like we actually got kicked in the stomach when he announced that,” Ozark Valley Farms Owner Robert Howell said.
Located in Windsor, Missouri, Howell has been working with beef and dairy cattle since 2010. He doesn’t expect to see a major drop in prices if Trump goes through with the deal, adding that major beef corporations will most likely be the only ones to see savings.
“We’ve always imported beef, but a big import dump like this would cause major damage, and the prices in the store will really not be affected,” Howell said.
Howell added the move would go against Trump’s “America First” promises, with corporations seeing wide profit margins and local mid-size to small beef producers seeing profit go down. Howell explained that just in the past few years, farmers started to see profits, and said that the plan would be a generational hit to ranchers.
“I’m in total agreement with a lot of most of everything that he has done, but turning against American farmer ranchers, his base, America’s base of food and security, is just not where it should be,” Howell said. “For years, the American farmer and American and the rancher has not turned a profit, just barely squeezed by, we’re just now at these prices, able to make something so it’s very important that we don’t get crushed right now.”
In a letter signed by eight Republican members of Congress on Tuesday, legislators argued for American beef in grocery stores and voiced concern for inspection standards outside of the U.S.
“America’s cattle producers are among the most resilient and hardworking in the nation,” the letter said. “They’ve endured droughts, blizzards, and volatile markets while continuing to raise safe, high-quality beef that feeds families across America and around the world.”
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U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) also announced on X Tuesday that legislators are working to pass a bill to help smaller cattle farmers.
“It is imperative that the government does not manipulate the markets in a way that would directly impact local ranchers,” the post said.”
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— Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) October 21, 2025
Patrick Westhoff, University of Missouri professor and director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, said for there to be a significant change to beef prices, there must be a drastic increase in Argentinian beef.
According to the USDA, Argentina produces 5% of the world’s beef, with the United States leading production at 20%.
“It depends on how much additional beef we’re talking about, unless there’s a huge increase in our existing export sales the effect on the U.S. markets will probably be relatively small,” Westhoff said.
According to CNN, Trump is planning on speaking with ranchers about the trade plan; however, he did not share which groups he will speak with.
“I think any of us [farmers] would be happy to sit down with any representative or any of Trump’s staff, and I think this is nationwide,” Howell said.
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