A federal plan to import heavily subsidized foreign beef is straining Virginia's 21,000 cattle producers, Governor Abigail Spanberger said during a roundtable with industry leaders.
The Trump Administration's plan, taking effect today, suspends tariffs on more than 660 million pounds of foreign-produced ground beef, allowing it to be sold at 25 percent below the market rate with taxpayer subsidies. The move comes as producers contend with rising input costs driven by federal tariff policies and international conflicts affecting fuel, fertilizer, and machinery prices.
Virginia's cattle industry comprises more than 21,000 producers managing 1.3 million head of cattle. The Commonwealth is investing more than $300 million to support farmers through agricultural best management practices such as rotational grazing.
Governor Spanberger sent a letter last week to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins voicing her opposition to the plan. "I will also continue to call on the Trump Administration to reconsider its disastrous policy decision and listen to the deep concerns of the more than 21,000 cattle producers who call Virginia home," she said.
At the roundtable, industry leaders discussed ways the Commonwealth could support local producers, including through the Virginia Verified Beef program and the Governor's Agriculture & Forestry Industries Development Fund.