Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, issued a statement regarding President Donald Trump’s comments about his plans to buy Argentinian beef, and the ensuing backlash among ranchers in Washington state and across the nation.
“Ranchers and farmers here in Washington state and across the country are understandably outraged over President Trump’s comments on buying beef from Argentina, and their deep frustration needs to be taken seriously.
“Temporary government manipulation of the global beef market won’t necessarily bring any significant benefit for the American consumer, but will almost certainly take money out of the pockets of hard-working farmers. Believing otherwise shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how our food system works.
“Not only did the President go back on his ‘America First’ promises by making a bad deal for consumers and farmers, but he added insult to that injury by belittling ranchers’ hard work and struggle that has kept nutritious food on Americans’ tables.
“The President needs to listen to the people who have devoted their lives to feeding America for generations, instead of the politicking bureaucrats surrounding him. The problem for the past decades has not been with farmers and ranchers fumbling their job, but with administration after administration unwilling to let farmers and ranchers do their job without suffocating regulations and red tape.
“Cattle ranchers don’t need political gamesmanship to save them. They need to see their leadership having their back and letting them finally thrive in a free market.”
Press Contact: Dillon Honcoop, dhoncoop@savefamilyfarming.org