With America’s cattle herd at its lowest level in more than 75 years, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is calling for an aggressive “America First” beef policy to rebuild herds, strengthen food security, and lower grocery prices for American families.
“Persistent drought and bad Biden Administration trade deals have hammered our ranchers,” Miller said. “It’s time to double down on American beef, rebuild our herds, and put our producers—not foreign imports—first.”
Miller praised President Trump for reopening global markets closed under the Biden Administration but cautioned that the recent agreement to expand Argentine beef imports should be viewed as only a short-term measure.
“I applaud President Trump’s leadership in reopening American markets around the world,” Miller said. “But increasing Argentine beef imports is not America First—or rancher first. I stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump in fighting to lower beef prices for families, but this plan should be a temporary fix—not a long-term solution. The right way to lower prices is by rebuilding America’s herds and processing capacity here at home. That 100,000-metric-ton import deal may sound big, but it’s less than one percent of our total beef economy.”
“While I understand President Trump’s focus on short-term solutions, we must pair that with a lasting America First approach built on herd recovery, market fairness, and real food security,” Miller continued. “Short-term fixes matter—but the real win comes from a long-term America First plan that rebuilds our herds, our markets, and our independence.”
Miller also credited the USDA’s updated beef plan for making progress on processing capacity, market transparency, and rancher support. Still, he warned that trade policy shifts must not derail domestic rebuilding efforts.
“Our ranchers are ready to rebuild,” Miller said. “They just need the right tools and support. An America First beef policy means producing safe, affordable, homegrown beef for American families—and putting America’s producers back in control.”
Miller’s America First Beef Policy Priorities include:
- Federal Heifer Retention Tax Credit – Incentivize ranchers to retain breeding stock and rebuild the national herd instead of selling during tight margins and drought.
- Rebuild Before Importing – Align trade policy with America’s production goals and end the undercutting of U.S. beef producers.
- Expand Drought Relief and Grazing Access – Quickly open an additional 19 million acres of federal grazing land to keep herds alive and support long-term herd stability.
- Strengthen Market Transparency – Reform anti-competitive practices, back U.S.-owned processors, and improve price discovery to boost fair competition for ranchers.
- Enforce Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) – Ensure consumers know exactly where their beef comes from and protect the integrity of the “Product of USA” label.
On the Heifer Retention Tax Credit, Miller said, “The way we lower beef prices and restore affordability is by putting American beef first. That starts with rebuilding our cattle herd. I’m calling for a Heifer Retention Tax Credit, modeled after the Child Tax Credit, that would allow cow-calf operators to receive a tax credit for retaining heifers and expanding their herds. This policy would be the most direct way to help rebuild our national herd, increase beef production, and ultimately bring relief to American families at the grocery store.”
“This needs to be treated like the crisis it is, and we need immediate action,” Miller said. “Chief among those should be creating a federal tax credit to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd. Congress has a key opportunity for our next Farm Bill to send a clear message that America has our producers’ backs. We need to treat American beef like the precious, life-giving resource it is, and do everything we can to promote a strong supply, fueled by our great beef producers.”
“While we are still trying to recover from a $37 billion Biden era agriculture trade deficit, we don’t need more foreign beef imports making it worse—we need more American beef,” Miller said. “The next Farm Bill must stand firm with American ranchers. When we put American ranchers first, we put America first.”
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Texas Dept. of Ag
