1. United States
2. S.D.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern over President Trump's recent suggestion to import beef from Argentina. As a constituent invested in the well-being of our domestic cattle industry, I urge you to oppose this misguided proposal and instead focus on supporting our American ranchers. Our cattle industry is facing unprecedented challenges. U.S. cattle herds are at their lowest levels since 1951 due to severe drought conditions, which have increased feed costs and forced herd reductions. Simultaneously, we're grappling with the potential resurgence of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly threatening to cross our southern border. These issues demand our immediate attention and resources. Importing Argentine beef is not the solution to our current high beef prices. It's a short-sighted attempt at market manipulation that undermines our ranchers' livelihoods and ignores the real problems at hand. Argentina has a history of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks and an unbalanced trade relationship with the U.S., making them an unreliable and potentially risky trade partner in this sector. Instead of looking abroad, we need to invest in domestic solutions. The USDA is working on developing a sterile fly production facility to combat the screwworm threat, but this initiative is years from completion. We need to expedite this process and provide immediate support for biosecurity and disease prevention measures. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has mentioned plans to incentivize ranching and open up new land. These are steps in the right direction, but they need to be implemented swiftly and effectively. Our focus should be on helping our ranchers weather this storm and rebuild their herds, not on undercutting them with foreign imports. I urge you to stand with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in their call to allow the market to work naturally. Push for immediate government support in the form of drought relief, accelerated disease prevention programs, and incentives for domestic ranching. Our ranchers need your advocacy now more than ever. The strength of our agricultural sector is crucial to our national security and economic stability. Let's prioritize the long-term health of our domestic cattle industry over short-term price manipulations. I look forward to hearing about your efforts to support our American ranchers and oppose the importation of Argentine beef.