As an Indiana cattleman myself, I am not surprised by President Trump’s decision to import thousands of tons of beef into our country to lower prices at the meat counter. Let me be clear, there is no substitute for American beef, on American store shelves, from American beef farmers. I am also sympathetic to the needs of Hoosiers who are struggling to pay higher food costs brought on by the Biden administration. While I don’t like the means the President had to choose, I do agree that the move is justified if it ends with Americans seeing lower prices in the grocery store immediately. The real issue is the lack of a long term plan that has been stuck in Congress! Passing country of origin labeling, more support for local and regional processing facilities and USDA low interest loans for farmers who increase herd size would all support producers in order to grow their herds to a sustainable level, and increased competition on the market so prices can drop in the long run. This should be seen as a temporary fix so Congress can pass long overdue reforms so American farmers can rebuild the greatest beef herd in the world. After all, U.S. farmers never were good at being panicans anyway.