NCBA Says MCOOL Will Raise Costs, US-China Truce Extended

The Senate Agriculture Committee's version of the Farm Bill includes mandatory country of origin labeling. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association senior vice president of government affairs, Ethan Lane, says that this provision is not good for U.S. cattle producers nor consumers.

“Well, the logic of in an environment where producers are complaining about high input costs and high, you know, high costs to produce that product, the same time that everyone is focused on lowering consumer prices, MCOOL would do two things right away. It would raise costs for producers to comply with it, and it would raise the price of our product for consumers at the store. What it wouldn't do is drive demand.”

He says a recent study out of Kansas State University proves what they already know, and that is consumers aren't buying based on where the beef comes from.

“Glenn Tozer at K-State just put out an updated study looking at what consumers are evaluating as they make a beef purchase, and I think labeling origin labeling fell 11th out of the top 12 in that list. Consumers buy on price and quality, and and they're they're matching those two up right now when they go to the store.”NCBA's Ethan Lane, and the U.S. and China have extended the current trade truce through January 10th, keeping reduced tariffs in place and pausing new trade restrictions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the extension gives both sides more time to work on unresolved trade issues.