Local stockyard owner says Trump beef policy "won't solve anything"

Beef prices may be dropping in area stores.

That's because President Donald Trump signed a proclamation temporarily removing tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported beef over a 90-day period.

But one local beef expert is skeptical about the policy which aims to lower retail grocery prices amid tight domestic beef supplies.

Jackie Moore, owner of the Joplin Stockyards, sees Trump's beef policy as little more than a quick fix.

“I don't thing the imports will solve anything,” Moore declares.

Multiple factors

Moore says the problems in the beef industry defy an easy solution.  For one thing, the United States is experiencing the lowest number of cattle seen in the nation since the early 1950s.

Ranchers and feedlots also face soaring expenses for feed, fuel, fertilizer, veterinary care, and high interest rates on operating loans.

Current beef prices, he says, reflect inflation and supply issues that stem more from urban sprawl and herd declines than imports.

“The 90-day import plan at 25% discount mainly benefits retailers, not consumers or cattle producers financially,” he states.

Are beef prices really that high?

Moore says the concern over “high beef prices” is an example of some truth mixed with a lot of fiction.

“Beef’s not any higher than anything else,” he says.  “You know, people give $10 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, or $3 for a bottle of water. Beef's not high compared to everything else."

Moore says in 1980, ground beef was around $1.67 a pound.

"If you look at inflation, it actually was higher 1980 than it is now."

Savings won't reach consumers

Moore says most of the savings from the Trump beef deal won’t reach consumers.

“Taking the tariff off beef imports makes no sense to me at all,” Moore says.

"We were already getting the beef. Trump did it because he's got some kind of a deal kept with some packer and, you know, because they gave him $5 million for his inauguration.  That's why they took the tariff off.”

Is foreign beef safe?

Some people concerned about -the beef imports say consumers have no way of knowing where the beef was produced.

They worry about the beef containing antibiotics or other additives.

Moore says there is little justification for their worries.

“I don't think people need to be concerned about that because it's inspected when it comes into this country," Moore declares.  "You need to have a good system in place to inspect it, which I think we do. 

It's just that, you know, we want to import, you know, a lot of beef and maybe we need it, but everybody still needs to know where it came from.”

Beef importers, as a result of laws passed in the last few years, no longer have to tell consumers where the beef originated.

Moore says mandating country of origin labeling for imported beef would boost consumer trust and support local producers.

Operational Scale of the Joplin Stockyards

The Joplin Stockyards plays a significant role in the U.S. cattle market.

The Joplin Stockyards is one of the largest livestock auctions in the U.S., marketing over 550,000 cattle annually worth more than $1 billion. Only Oklahoma City may be larger.

The scale of Joplin’s operations means import policies have a direct and substantial impact on local cattle prices.

This influence positions Jackie Moore as a key voice in industry discussions on trade and market stability.

Moore says producers have already seen cattle prices drop by $300 to $500 a head.

"It's just hard on the beef cattle industry," he concludes.

“It just takes the confidence out of the market."

The Joplin Regional Stockyards are located at 10131 Cimarron Road in Carthage, Missouri (at Interstate 44 and Exit 22), immediately east of Joplin