CHIPPEWA FALLS — Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to allow additional ground beef imports at lower tariff rates for the next 90 days:
“Families are frustrated by high grocery prices, and farmers understand that frustration because our costs have gone up, too. But increasing beef imports sidesteps a bigger question: Why is there such a wide gap between what consumers pay for beef and what makes its way back to the farm?
“Four companies control more than 80 percent of U.S. beef processing. With that much market power concentrated in so few hands, bringing in more imported beef does nothing to address the lack of competition in the system. This move by the administration does nothing but undermine U.S. beef farmers who are already trying to compete in an increasingly consolidated marketplace.
“We need solutions that lower costs for families while strengthening American agriculture. That means enforcing antitrust laws, supporting independent and regional processors, improving price transparency, and giving farmers more places to sell their livestock. Wisconsin Farmers Union also supports mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef so shoppers know where their food comes from and can choose American-raised beef.
“We should be building a marketplace where farmers can compete fairly and consumers benefit from real competition, rather than relying on temporary trade policy changes and hoping lower prices follow.”
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