excalibur
Diamond Member
- Mar 19, 2015
- 28,674
- 58,023
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The cattle herd is indeed way down, and it takes about 5–7 years to build it back up. And indeed Biden had something to do with the herd being downsized.
Regulatory Expansion: The administration's move to revise the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule has been criticized for creating "regulatory confusion" and potentially limiting how ranchers use their own land near water sources. Additionally, new EPA pesticide regulations aimed at protecting endangered species are seen as an additional burden on agricultural production.
Federal Land Restrictions: The "30 by 30" conservation plan (America the Beautiful initiative) is criticized for potentially canceling federal grazing contracts and leaving millions of acres of grazing land idle. Groups like the Public Lands Council have also spoken out against using the Antiquities Act to create new national monuments, which they argue eliminates vital grazing access for public lands ranchers.
Market Consolidation and Pricing: While the Biden administration has invested $1 billion to increase competition in meat processing, critics and some small ranchers argue these measures haven't done enough to break the control of the "Big Four" meatpackers. This consolidation often leads to lower prices paid to ranchers even as retail beef prices rise.
Climate-Focused Mandates: Efforts to reduce methane emissions through "voluntary, incentive-based approaches" are characterized by some as a "war on cattle", with critics fearing these policies aim to reduce herd sizes to meet climate goals.
Federal Land Restrictions: The "30 by 30" conservation plan (America the Beautiful initiative) is criticized for potentially canceling federal grazing contracts and leaving millions of acres of grazing land idle. Groups like the Public Lands Council have also spoken out against using the Antiquities Act to create new national monuments, which they argue eliminates vital grazing access for public lands ranchers.
Market Consolidation and Pricing: While the Biden administration has invested $1 billion to increase competition in meat processing, critics and some small ranchers argue these measures haven't done enough to break the control of the "Big Four" meatpackers. This consolidation often leads to lower prices paid to ranchers even as retail beef prices rise.
Climate-Focused Mandates: Efforts to reduce methane emissions through "voluntary, incentive-based approaches" are characterized by some as a "war on cattle", with critics fearing these policies aim to reduce herd sizes to meet climate goals.
