Gov. Evers Urges Trump Administration to Support American Producers and Ranchers, Back Off Plans to Import Beef from Argentina

As governor of the state of Wisconsin, which is home to a more than $34 billion livestock and meat industry, I’m writing today to urge you to immediately reverse any attempts to import additional beef from Argentina. Reporting indicates that President Trump and your administration are planning to drastically increase the amount of beef purchased from Argentina, as much as quadruple the typical amount. At a time with reckless trade wars that are causing chaos and uncertainty for farmers and producers in Wisconsin and across our country, now is not the time to turn your back on them. Now is the time to focus on supporting American farmers and producers and reinvest in our country’s agriculture industry, instead of subsidizing farmers halfway across the world. 

As you know, the U.S. beef cow herd is currently the smallest in our nation’s history, and there are numerous reasons for that. For example, U.S. farmers have been facing multiple years of drought and have endured challenging economic conditions. In this moment, the Trump Administration must join our state-led efforts in supporting American producers as they build their herds, not subsidize other countries by unnecessarily increasing imports. Wisconsin is home to thousands of cattle producers and dairy farmers, and each has an important role in bringing beef to the marketplace. Beef imports are already at an all-time high bringing in ample supply of needed products, such as lean trim, and we do not need to purchase more.

USDA’s Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry released last week does not address this significant misstep by the Trump administration, which is disappointing. Rather than needlessly increasing beef imports to the detriment of U.S. farmers, USDA should be addressing the trade imbalance. We must focus on supporting families that need food assistance at the grocery store and not contribute to the economies of other countries through foreign purchases. And we need to focus on protecting the nation’s cattle by maintaining strong biosecurity measures to ensure we protect the quality and safety of America’s food supply from diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and New World Screwworm. 

I encourage you to stand by American cattle producers and listen to their voices. Groups such as the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, the National Farmers Union, and the American Farm Bureau Federation have shared their opposition to purchasing additional beef from other countries and stand ready to work together to develop alternative solutions. I urge you to reconsider and instead follow Wisconsin’s lead and work collaboratively to develop ways to encourage domestic beef production and safeguard long-term food security. Thank you for your immediate attention to this important matter. 

Respectfully,

Tony Evers
Governor

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON GOV. EVERS’ EFFORTS TO SUPPORT WISCONSIN FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES