NEMO | Mark in WCIowa - 10/29/2025 11:21
Any time we've run short of grain, its never been a problem to send in the imports. In fact, we are importing grains in every single calendar year. Not to mention we want to export our products to other countries which keeps their farm prices depressed.
This beef price crisis isn't going to solve itself in any timely fashion. We aren't holding back enough heifers to increase supply. Even if we were suddenly, would this take several years to come to fruition on the meat shelves?
I think the import pill would of been easier to swallow if it had went down differently.
Saying cattleman are making too much money doesn't sit well with me and just about every other cowman!!!
We were finally having some breathing room and a reprieve from everything else costing so dang much. I asked the guy at JD yesterday while getting parts when is JD going to take a price cut because they are making too damn much money!!!
To put things in perspective I have probably lost $100,000 in a weeks time just on the calf market. Granted they are not sold yet and I never had it to begin with, but the knee jerk reaction on Trumps announcement has been HUGE!!!
The big difference between grain and cattle is that when corn or beans get to a price we like we call up the elevator and say hey I want to sell X bushels for X delivery month. It's just not that simple with cattle for most producers. You can't call up the sale barn and say hey I want to deliver X number of calves on X sale day what are you paying?
Anyway it is a major kick in the nuts coming from the 'America First' President!!! I wish we could kick him in the nuts so he could know what it feels like!!!!!!!
He probably cost the American cowman way more money in one week than Oprah ever did.
But ultimately I think the import plan will back fire on lowering beef long term. I lost all inclination to keep and breed any heifers this winter. Pretty sure every calf will go to town. When they show they can pull the rug out from under us and not blink an eye then why keep fighting it. Beans back close to $11. I can squeeze a few more cow acres into row crops acres. We were running 60% heifers this calf crop so I could of made a big splash forward on heifer retention but not now!!! Lol |
Why is importing beef such a big deal?