Cattle ranchers pushed back on Monday against one of President Donald Trump's latest plans to try and lower domestic beef prices.
Trump announced last week that he is considering purchasing beef from Argentina to help lower the cost for American consumers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that beef prices hit record-highs this year amid Trump's trade war with China and other countries.
"We would buy some beef from Argentina," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. "If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down."
Cattle ranchers and industry experts pushed back against the plan.
“This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told NBC News on Monday.
“Argentina also has a history of foot-and-mouth disease,” Woodall added, “which if brought to the United States, could decimate our domestic livestock production.”
“At a time when we should be finding ways to help American farmers deal with this chaotic trade policy, it’s extremely disappointing to see us bailing out Argentina and Argentina farmers in the process,” Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union and a soybean grower, told NBC News.