Montana Farm Bureau Vice President Casey Mott has expressed frustration with President Trump’s announcement of importing an additional 300,000 metric tons of beef into the United States, tariff-free.
“As a rancher I am extremely disappointed in President Trump’s proclamation to drop tariffs on imported beef. It will certainly affect prices paid to the rancher but I’m not so sure it will reduce the price paid by consumers,” said Mott. “The prices Montana ranchers have received for their cattle have been good recently. Those good prices finally provided us with the ability to catch up financially because the inputs for raising beef have increased $400 per animal from 2020; that’s nearly 30 percent. That means we must make that much more to break even. Everything we put into raising that beef has increased, including the cost of hay, leased pasture, pickup trucks, tractors and equipment. Even the cost of our groceries has increased, and diesel prices have skyrocketed. I don’t see any of our costs decreasing. Dropping the tariffs on imported beef certainly will have a huge negative impact on the feeder cattle market.”
Mott, who ranches north of Miles City, noted that his family had contracted months ago when prices were high, but explains they still take culled cows and culled bulls as well as calves that didn’t make the contract, to the livestock auction.
“The timing couldn’t be worse,” said Mott. “Those imports will start in September and October, the exact time most ranchers are selling their animals.”
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