Interesting video. Increasing imports does NOT reduce the retail price of beef!!!

What imports DO is to increase the profits of the big meat packers.They want cheap imported lean to mix with trim fat from overfed feedlot animals to supply burger. Packers want the price of US lean kept down by bringing in cheap imports from overseas.

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Another factor causing the US cow herd to be at the lowest point in 70 years is that pasture land being sold by retiring farmers almost always goes into row crop, mostly corn and beans with government subsidized crop insurance and regular handouts from the US government.

A young farmer would be crazy to try to keep the land in pasture, as would his banker, given the current situation where he is almost guaranteed a profit by switching pasture to (unneeded) corn and beans.  Too much land to get planted in a reasonable time window in the spring? No  problem! Just file "prevent plant" and get paid by uncle sam anyway...

Why would anyone get into cow-calf and not get a pay check for 2 years and at who knows what price?

If the market controlled row crop prices, more of that pasture being sold by aging-out cattlemen would stay in pasture and cows.

Government guarantees to row croppers have and will continue to wildly distort American agriculture including American beef.

Will this change?  Very unlikely due to the lobbying power of the industries thriving under the current government dollars in Ag.