- Florida cattle ranchers are opposing a plan to import more beef from Argentina to lower prices.
- The Florida Cattlemen’s Association argues the move threatens American producers and raises food safety concerns.
- Ranchers suggest high input costs, tight cattle supplies, and drought are the real drivers of increased prices.
Florida’s cattle industry is bristling at President Trump’s proposal to import more beef from Argentina, arguing that the plan risks weakening domestic producers in the name of lower prices.
The Florida Cattlemen’s Association put out a statement on its Facebook page on Oct. 22, saying President Donald Trump’s proposal to import more beef from Argentina to combat record-high prices “threatens American cattle producers.”
“The federal government should let the free market work instead of intervening in cattle markets or rewarding countries that don’t meet our animal health and food safety concerns,” the post says.
Trump announced his plan to bring down beef prices over the weekend, but an administration official confirmed Wednesday the U.S. is preparing to quadruple its beef purchases from Argentina.
The president’s proposal has thrust Florida’s historic cattle industry into the middle of a national debate over how to balance food costs with domestic production.
While the White House argues that increasing imports could provide quick relief for consumers facing record-high beef prices, Florida ranchers warn the move risks undermining local producers who have weathered droughts, soaring costs and development pressures.
Florida ranks 13th in overall cattle numbers, according to the Florida Beef Council. But Florida has been a cattle state since the 1500s, when Spanish explorers introduced livestock to the region. The state remains a significant producer today, with ranching continuing to play an important role in its economy and agricultural landscape.
Cattlemen in Florida have been operating at break-even income levels, sometimes in the red, said Rick Moyer, president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.
“There’s a lot of high risk in what we do, and we’re finally seeing some profits, but at the same time with inflation, our costs doing business have gone up exponentially, so while we are making profits, they’re not as high as everybody thinks they are,” Moyer said.
Average ground beef prices skyrocketed in the U.S. in July, setting an all-time high record of $6.25 a pound. The year before, a pound of ground beef was around $5.49.
“Prices are way down in our country. The only cost that’s really up is beef,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Oct. 22. “We’re going to do something very quickly and easily on beef to get it down. The ranchers understand that.”
Ranchers say Trump’s deal with Argentina will hurt Florida
Florida ranchers say the president’s move to buy more beef from Argentina will harm the state’s cattle industry. Florida currently ranks 13th in overall cattle numbers nationwide, according to the Florida Beef Council.
Jara Ann Corson, an eighth generation cattlewoman in Okeechobee County, said the amount of beef they’re going to import will not fix the problem of prices, but could open the door for beef imports from all over the world, which could be a safety issue.
The Florida Cattleman’s Association said in its statement that tight cattle supplies and high input costs are driving the increase in prices. Drought in the western and midwest states also has increased prices, and in South Florida, the biggest threat to the cattle industry is development, Corson added.
She said there’s other ways to tackle the problem.
“I feel the pain at the grocery store with the rest of America, and so trying to lower the price of beef in the grocery store is putting Americans first, but we need to be careful how we do it so it doesn’t hurt American ranchers in the process,” Corson said.
While South Florida may not be experiencing a drought, the same can’t be said for the Panhandle. Moyer said he’s had cattlemen in the area contact him worried about the potential of Argentinian beef flooding the market when 10 counties are experiencing extreme drought conditions.
Some of the farms in the Panhandle still haven’t recovered from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, in 2018.
“Let these ranchers finally make some money,” Moyer said.
In Florida there are over 1.5 million head of cattle raised for the beef and dairy industries on 3.55 million acres, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. In 2023, Florida’s annual cow and calf sales were valued at nearly $586 million.
The three top counties for cattle are Okeechobee, Highlands and Osceola counties, according to the Florida Beef Council. All three counties went to Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the most productive cow-calf ranch in the United States, covering more than 290,000 acres in Central Florida.
A request for comment is pending with Florida Agriculture Commissioner and longtime egg farmer Wilton Simpson, whom Trump endorsed to run for a second term in 2026.
Simpson has long been a vocal supporter of Florida’s cattlemen; in 2024, he endorsed the passage of a bill (SB 1084) that would outlaw the manufacture and distribution of lab-grown meat in the state, calling it a “disgraceful attempt to undermine our proud traditions and prosperity.”
Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.
