FORT WORTH, TEXAS — A long-time cattle rancher said Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration understands his industry and what it needs to continue producing quality beef for the American people.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Director Steve Sikes told Breitbart News that under past administrations, ranchers were pressured by rules that made their work more difficult, but things have since changed.
“We’ve got the EPA that is run pretty well, and in the past that was always a deterrent for ranchers because they were putting in rules that were almost impossible to cope with. They had a rule several years ago that was called the Waters of the USA. They wanted to control all the water… if water dripped off your hat, and fell onto the soil, the United States, the government, felt like they were in charge of that. So, they wouldn’t let you do a lot of things. They’ve taken that away,” Sikes explained.
Steve Sikes ranching – photo courtesy of Steve Sikes
“The other departments of the government, they are very helpful. The USDA, we’ve got a great secretary of Ag [agriculture] in Brooke Rollins. She is fantastic,” he said, adding she was a Texas A&M graduate who “understands agriculture very well.”
Indeed, Rollins has made it part of her mission to restore trust between America’s farmers, ranchers, and leaders in Washington, DC, Breitbart News reported April 6.
“I feel this job every day, and it is the greatest honor of my life. Nothing will ever — no matter what comes next — will ever come close to this moment in time of what God has called us to do; to save America, to save rural America, to ensure that our children and our grandchildren have the same America that we all grew up in,” Rollins said.
When asked how he views the difference between how former President Joe Biden’s (D) administration and President Trump’s administration have been leading the nation, Sikes said it was “Like night and day.”
“As soon as Biden got out of the way, the United States returned to a country that could trade and use common sense,” he commented.
Sikes’ family has been in the ranching industry since 1876, therefore he is no stranger to the difficulties and triumphs they experience year after year. In regard to the decline in herd size, he said it was predominantly due to a drought in Texas that has been going on for years, and ranchers were forced to reduce their herds because there was not enough water or grass.
However, Sikes explained that despite the hard times, “We try to be good stewards of the land and not just let it go to pot. Also, you have to take care of the cattle. They’re very important. Animals, they have a right to excellent care and health protocols.”
When it comes to the “Big Four” meatpackers (JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef) and their relationship with independent ranchers, Sikes said it was a love-hate situation. “Right now the packers are losing money. The ranchers are making money” due to the higher price of beef, he said.
cattle photo courtesy of Steve Sikes
According to Breitbart News, those four meatpackers control 85 percent of the market, and President Trump in November ordered the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate them for what he said was a history of “price fixing” and “illicit collusion.”
Breitbart News also asked Sikes about Trump’s proclamation earlier this year permitting an “additional 80,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings per year from Argentina to be imported tariff-free in four quarterly tranches of 20,000 metric tons each.”
The rancher said most people want American beef and that cattle produced in the United States is “very desirable,” but bringing in cattle from South America may help bring down prices.
Sikes also detailed a challenge facing the ranching industry which was the threat of the New World screwworm that Texas officials said was moving north through Mexico. The news prompted Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to issue a disaster declaration to activate emergency powers before the parasite landed at the border.
“I’ve been through screw flies before. That’s not fun, and it will just devastate cattle herds,” Sikes told Breitbart News.
Another issue was South American cartels moving unchecked cattle to the U.S. border where they eventually mingle with USDA-approved beef, a Beef News report said in July.
According to Sikes, that made room for possible dangers to enter the country.
“I think it’s incumbent upon us, as our Ag department, and I think Brooke Rollins is noting that. We need to watch it, that’s why she shut the border off. There’s no more cattle coming in through Mexico. That’s hard because Mexico is a great trading partner, but it’s almost impossible to bring cattle in from Mexico and you don’t know if they have the screwworm or not,” he explained.
Sikes said American ranchers take a lot of pride in how they care for their animals and in making sure the food they produce is safe for Americans. He emphasized that ranching organizations all over the nation uphold a standard and “work hard to make sure things are in order so that it is an industry that can continue to provide food for the United States.”
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