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The president of the National Black Farmers Association is criticizing President Donald Trump’s plan to increase beef imports, warning the move could hurt U.S. cattle producers already struggling with high costs and low cattle supplies.
Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday (August 26) temporarily allowing an additional 300,000 metric tons of beef into the U.S. at a lower tariff rate over 90 days as the administration looks to bring down high beef prices. The measure is expected to begin September 1.
John Boyd Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, called the proposal “a national insult to America’s producers and cattlemen,” according to HuffPost.
Boyd told CNN on Wednesday (August 26) that cattle farmers cannot afford to absorb lower prices while facing high costs for fuel, fertilizer and other necessities. He also said the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1951.
“We can’t afford to take a 25 percent reduction in price because the president wants to do some side deal in Argentina,” Boyd said, connecting the move to Trump’s previous efforts to increase beef imports from Argentina.
Boyd’s criticism comes amid an ongoing fight between Black and other underserved farmers and the Trump administration over federal agricultural support. In June, a federal judge ordered the USDA to restore $127 million in grants to organizations and local governments working to improve farmers’ access to land, capital and markets after the Trump administration terminated the funding earlier this year, according to Capital B.
Boyd has also warned that Black farmers are especially vulnerable to mounting financial pressure. During his CNN interview, he said nearly 400 farms are now facing pending foreclosures.
The Trump administration says increasing beef imports will help lower prices for consumers. But Boyd argues the proposal could instead put more pressure on American cattle producers at a time when many are already struggling to keep their farms.
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