Trump pledges to allow cattle ranchers to process own food amid beef imports backlash

U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to empower cattle ranchers and farmers to handle their own food processing, amid growing criticism over his decision to temporarily import up to 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef without imposing higher tariffs. The move aims to address complaints from the U.S. agricultural sector, which warns that flooding stores with imports could negatively impact ranchers and hinder their herd growth, as the industry faces a 75-year low.

In a recent statement on social media, Trump commended farmers and ranchers as "smart, efficient, and immaculately CLEAN," and emphasized that the agricultural sector has long been a priority for him. He stated that he is authorizing legal documents to enable farmers and ranchers to process their own food, a move intended to break the monopolistic grip of a few large food processing companies, many of which are foreign-owned.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins affirmed that the U.S. must secure its food supply for national security, announcing that her department will expedite the process and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for ranchers. However, the administration faces challenges in implementing these changes, as stringent regulations and a stalled bill in Congress limit the ability to modify USDA inspections for small-scale ranches and farmers.