Trump to sign order making it easier for U.S. ranchers to sell, process own beef

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will sign executive orders aimed at easing high beef prices and making it simpler for cattle ranchers to sell their own processed products. These measures come as retail beef prices have reached record highs this year, driven by a low cattle supply due to drought and wildfires. Opinion surveys indicate that rising costs are a major concern for voters ahead of the November midterm elections, when Trump’s Republicans are seeking to maintain control of Congress.

The orders would allow ranchers to safeguard their herds against gray wolves and make it easier for them to sell food they have processed themselves, a practice currently constrained by federal food safety laws. Some ranchers have advocated for the reinstatement of mandatory country-of-origin labelling for beef, claiming it would support domestic producers and increase transparency for consumers.

This debate has been ongoing for decades; the U.S. initially required country-of-origin labels in 2009, but Canada and Mexico successfully argued that the measure disadvantaged their cattle and pig industries. In 2015, the World Trade Organization ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico, leading the U.S. to abolish mandatory labelling for meat products.

Currently, meat companies can voluntarily label their products as "Product of USA" if they originate from animals born, raised, and slaughtered within the country. Last week, Trump signed an order temporarily increasing imports of lower-tariff beef in an attempt to reduce prices, a move that has received mixed reactions from ranchers and farmers.

While some have supported Trump’s election efforts, producer groups have opposed the import plan, arguing it would disadvantage American ranchers. However, they responded more positively to the Department of Agriculture's recent suite of actions aimed at supporting the beef sector, which has now been complemented by the president's new executive orders.