Category: Industry News

President Trump Announced His Plan to Bring U.S. Beef Prices Down by Importing Beef from Argentina

Posted on by Jessica Graham

Billings, Mont., Oct. 20, 2025 –

On Sunday aboard Air Force One, the Associated Press reported that President Trump announced his plan to bring U.S. beef prices down by importing beef from Argentina.

Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, the nation’s largest cattle association that exclusively represents cattle farmers and ranchers, issued the following statement in response to the president’s purported plan.

“We acknowledge that beef prices are higher than what a competitive market would predict. Decades of failure to manage excessive imports and address unprecedented industry concentration have caused beef prices to disproportionately increase more than cattle prices.

“As beef prices increased, our cattle herd shrank because increasing volumes of imports displaced the need for domestic cattle. Then along came a drought that accelerated the ongoing decline of our domestic herd, converting our industry’s chronic problem into today’s acute problem.

“Global packers are importing beef from about 20 different countries, including Argentina, and because we do not have a mandatory country-of-origin labeling law for beef, the global packers do not need to reduce the price of imported product compared to domestic product. This negates any theoretical benefit of using more imports to drive down domestic beef prices.

R-CALF USA Suggest Mandatory Country-Of-Origin-Labels (MCOOL)

“The president should immediately require mandatory country-of-origin labels on beef so American consumers can choose to help rebuild and expand our nation’s contracted cattle herd.

“Market participants know that increased imports from Argentina will reduce demand for domestic cattle, and that’s why cattle markets have responded negatively to the president’s plan. And there couldn’t be a worse time for this to happen, as many producers are getting ready to sell this year’s production, meaning they will receive less for their cattle, and that will threaten their ability to remain economically viable, particularly as they face increased input costs in their operations.

“For decades the government has been inviting more imports from countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Namibia, claiming these increased imports would provide consumers more choices and lower consumer beef prices. This did not work and cannot work in a market where these imports are not differentiated with a country-of-origin label and where competitive market forces have been replaced with corporate control by concentrated global beef packers and concentrated beef retailers.

A Fix to Price-Fixing

“There is a wave of beef price-fixing cases working their way through the court system. President Trump should direct his antitrust enforcers to determine the extent to which the alleged unlawful price fixing has contributed to today’s higher beef prices.

“We urge the president to manage imports, restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, and put an end to the monopolistic control that packers and retailers have over our beef supply chain. Doing so will incentivize America’s ranchers to rebuild and expand the U.S. herd to meet our national security needs and ensure that consumer beef prices are determined by competitive market forces.”

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Specialty Risk Insurance: Producers Protecting Producers 

Posted on by Jessica Graham

In agriculture, especially in the cattle business, nothing comes with a guarantee. Markets shift, feed prices climb, weather turns on a dime, and the stakes are always high. Every day is a balancing act between opportunity and risk. 

That’s where Specialty Risk Insurance comes in. 

For more than 13 years, our team has worked alongside farmers, ranchers, and ag businesses across the country, helping protect the livelihoods that keep rural America running. We’re not a one-size-fits-all agency. We’re independent meaning we shop the entire market to find the coverage that fits your operation, not someone else’s. 

Because no two cattle operations are the same. And your insurance shouldn’t be either. 

Built by People Who Understand Agriculture 

Roughly 80% of the clients Specialty Risk serves are tied directly to agriculture; cow-calf producers, backgrounders, feedyards, custom operators, truckers, processors, and the businesses that keep them moving. 

Our agents and service team members are hands-on people who know what it takes to run a working operation. We speak the language, understand the risks, and know what happens when a claim hits in the middle of calving season or a drought cuts hay yields in half. 

“Our job is to take problems off your plate,” says Kevin Charleston, Owner of Specialty Risk Insurance. “When something happens, we don’t wait for an email; we’re already on the phone, already on-site, already helping. Our clients don’t have time for red tape, and neither do we.” 

Real Coverage for Real Operations 

Specialty Risk Insurance offers protection across every corner of agriculture, including: 

  • Farm & Ranch Insurance – property, liability, Auto, Equipment, and umbrella coverages for protection that fits the way you operate. 
  • Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) – coverage for price declines on fed or feeder cattle. 
  • Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) – helping manage the impact of low rainfall and drought. 
  • Livestock Mortality & Equine Coverage – for breeding stock, show animals, and commercial herds. 
  • Trucking & Cargo – keeping animals and equipment protected in transit. 

What makes our livestock program stand out is that we manage it directly, in partnership with a London-based insurer. That means faster claims, clearer communication, and a team that knows exactly what’s at stake. Today, we insure over a million head of cattle and thousands of horses nationwide. 

More Than a Policy—A Partner 

When things go wrong, Specialty Risk doesn’t just send a claims form, we show up.
Recently, when a client experienced a serious workplace accident, one of our team members drove eight hours on a Sunday to be on-site. From ensuring the injured employee received the right care to managing OSHA compliance, our team was there every step of the way. 

That’s what partnership looks like. 

Beyond the Fenceline 

While agriculture remains at the heart of Specialty Risk Insurance, our expertise also extends to construction and commercial industries, especially those that serve the ag sector. From contractors and grain-handling companies to trucking operations and equipment dealers, our commercial division helps protect the businesses that keep rural economies strong. 

We also know that your people are your greatest asset. That’s why our Health & Benefits division provides group health, life, and enrollment support for employers, along with a dedicated HR and safety team that helps clients stay compliant and keep employees safe. 

Growing Nationally, Staying Grounded Locally 

Headquartered in the heart of the Midwest, Specialty Risk Insurance serves clients in all 50 states, with boots on the ground where producers live and work. The company is expanding westward into California, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon, and eastward into Tennessee and Kentucky, while continuing to strengthen its local presence in the central U.S. cattle country. 

We still believe in hard work, handshakes, and relationships built on trust. Because when your livelihood depends on weather, markets, and livestock, you need more than an insurance company. 

You need a team that knows your world and stands beside you every step of the way. 

Specialty Risk Insurance
Protecting the people, property, and livestock that feed America. 

For more cattle info go to:

Home – American Cattlemen

For more dairy info go here:

Home – American Dairymen

If you also enjoy the Outdoors, the Iowa Sportsman is below:

Home – The Iowa Sportsman

Ferappease® Improves Weaning Feed Efficiency

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

RESEARCH SHOWS FERAPPEASE® ADMINISTERED AT WEANING IMPROVES FEED EFFICIENCY, PROVIDES AN ROI

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (October 15, 2025)

A new independent study from Olds College of Agriculture & Technology (Alberta, Canada) shows that FerAppease®—a unique analogue of the naturally occurring Maternal Bovine Appeasing Substance (mBAS)—improves feed efficiency, weight gain, rumination time and immune response in beef heifers during the critical 28-day backgrounding period following weaning and transport.

The study conducted by Gellatly et al (2025)* at the Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) and published in MDPI Animals (September 2025) explored both behavioral and physiological responses, as well as the potential return on investment for producers. “Weaning is one of the most stressful events in a calf’s life, triggering behavioral and physiological changes as calves adjust to new social and nutritional environments,” says Dr. Désirée Gellatly, research scientist at TACLP. “Our findings suggest that FerAppease at weaning improves adaptation in beef heifers, resulting in greater growth and feed efficiency and translating into potential profitability.”

The study included Angus-influenced heifers that were abruptly weaned, weighed and randomly assigned to receive a single treatment of either 10 mL of FerAppease or the water placebo treatment (control group) on day 0 of the study. After treatment, all heifers were transported under identical conditions (equal space allowance per animal per trailer, the same route, identical durations of feed and water deprivation, and a controlled, predesignated speed), ensuring consistent handling across both treatment groups. Over the subsequent 28-day period, the heifers were monitored for key health and performance indicators, including body weight, feed intake, feeding behavior, rumination and blood parameters. Measurements were recorded on days 0, 14 and 28 of the study.

Researchers revealed that FerAppease-treated heifers gained an average of 29.7 pounds more than control heifers over the 27-day feeding period. Treated heifers achieved an average daily gain (ADG) of 3.96 lb/day, compared to 2.86 lb/day for the control group (P = 0.048). Blood analyses indicated a potential enhancement of immune function, with notable differences in lymphocyte counts, hematocrit levels and platelet trends compared to the control group.

Treated heifers also achieved numerically higher profit margins, suggesting FerAppease may support improved post-weaning performance and economic outcomes. According to the research, profit per pen (CAD$/pen) over the 28-day experimental period was calculated as the difference between the final value and the initial value, total feed costs and total medication costs. “Our findings suggest that for every CAD $1 spent on mBAS treatment, the return is approximately CAD $11.74 in profit, based on liveweight-adjusted mBAS treatment costs,” says Dr. Gellatly.

“At FERA, we are dedicated to advancing practical FerAppease research to support producers in enhancing both animal welfare and performance,” says Dr. Rodrigo Bicalho, D.V.M, FERA Diagnostics & Biologicals founder and CEO.“The findings of this study suggest that FerAppease facilitated the adaptation of weaned beef heifers to the background environment. By supporting growth performance, enhancing select immunological parameters, and improving patterns of activity and rumination, FerAppease was associated with enhanced feed efficiency across the entire trial period, particularly evident during the latter half of the study. These results indicate a role for FerAppease in promoting physiological and behavioral adaptation during the post-weaning transition period.”

All ingredients in FerAppease are FDA approved under GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe), its use does not require a veterinarian’s prescription or a Veterinary Feed Directive plan, and there are no meat withholding requirements. To learn more about FerAppease and this study, review additional research and to place an order, visit: Ferappease.com/beef/.

FERA Diagnostics & Biologicals is a privately held animal health company based in College Station, Texas. Combining innovation and science, FERA introduced FerAppease to address the hidden health and economic costs of cattle stress.

October 2025

Home – American Cattlemen

 

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