Back in April, an ad hoc group of cattle producers met to form the “Common Ground Coalition” and published what they consider to be the policies needed for the future of the cattle industry.
Then just a few weeks ago, U.S. Department of Agriculture released a “Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry.” These two plans have many points in common, among them, more government subsidies and cheaper, more abundant immigrant labor. Whatever cattle producers feel about dependence on government checks and foreign guest workers, what is not mentioned is the one policy that is by far the most important – elimination of captive supply.
When the President announced an increased quota for Argentinian beef, the cattle industry freaked out. The market got real jumpy, and some producers lost hundreds of bucks on each head. Then, on Nov. 7, the White House made this announcement:
