OGLESBY, Texas. (KXXV) — A Coryell County rancher says consumers are more concerned about beef safety than prices following a temporary tariff waiver that allowed more foreign beef into the United States.
At the beginning of September, President Trump temporarily waived tariffs on imported beef, with the goal of lowering prices at the grocery store. But local ranchers say the move has come at a significant cost to their operations.
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Blayr Barnard, owner of Barnard Beef Cattle Company, said the timing of the increased imports — coming shortly after beef recalls in the United States and a rejection of American beef by China — has fueled public concern.
"We've always had foreign imported beef. The difference now is just the idea of less regulations, I think, scares people, um, with the timing of the beef being brought in shortly after the recalls here in the United States and the, you know, rejection in China," Barnard said.
Barnard said the financial impact on ranchers could be severe.
"Do I like that it's being brought in at cut rates, very low tariffs? No, not really. It completely affected our ranching market, and a lot of people built an entire craft crop to sell in October and $500 for every single animal that they raised and put all of these inputs in, disappeared within a month and a half. And so in that sense, you are really, really hurting the American farmer and rancher," Barnard said.
Other factors are also driving beef prices higher, including drought conditions and low cattle numbers across the country.
Barnard said the long-term outlook for local ranchers is uncertain.
"We're losing lots of Texas land every day. Uh, we have much higher gas prices, much higher fertilizer prices, much higher calf prices without being able to sell them as finished cattle at the same high rate. And I think that's going to lead to a shrinking of your local farmers and ranchers," Barnard said.
Despite her concerns about the market, Barnard wants to reassure neighbors that beef purchased at the grocery store is still safe to eat. She said buying locally offers additional peace of mind.
"I think that they can take further precautions about that by buying locally from a producer that knows every single animal and takes it to a USDA facility, but even if you go buy something from your grocery store or the cheapest burger place you've ever been to in your life, it still will have had to pass safety inspections," Barnard said.
Experts say beef prices are expected to stay high until 2027.
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