Across all of Georgia's 159 counties, nearly 1 million head of cattle are raised in the Peach State.
Beef and dairy make up the second largest commodity in the state, accounting for more than $981 million in economic impact in Georgia.
More than 15,000 cattle producers are working here, according to the Georgia Cattlemen's Association, but some of this may change in the next 90 days.
In a Truth Social post on Aug. 21, President Donald Trump announced the United States had reached a deal for foreign ground beef to be imported into the country at a 25% discount compared to American prices. The deal was made in exchange for not paying out-of-quota tariffs on ground beef to the U.S.
"This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our
Great American Beef Herd to grow again," Trump wrote, saying up to 300,000 metric tons of product could be brought in to the United States from an unknown source. Trump said the move will "substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families."
In Georgia, however, one cattle rancher and congressional candidate, Shawn Harris, said the move is "pitting the farmer against the consumer."
Profits will drop as soon as this week, Harris says
Harris, a retired Brigadier General and southern Democrat, is running against Rep. Clay Fuller in Georgia's 14th congressional district after the MAGA conservative won a special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene earlier this year.
When Harris is not on the campaign trail, however, he owns and operates a cattle farm in Rockmart, Georgia, in the state's northwestern corner. Harris is scheduled to sell calves on the market on Wednesday.
"This is the first time in years that (as) cattle producers we've actually been making money in the cow-calf operation," Harris told USA TODAY in an interview Tuesday. Harris said years of droughts, fires, screwworm and then tariffs for things like fertilizer, fuel and more have made the industry nearly impossible.
Cattle that are sold alive, as Harris' are, sell based off futures, according to the rancher. With the knowledge that the imported beef is on the way, his calves will now be worth less money when he heads to the market.
"They have already said the price of my cattle have already dropped $12.50 per 100 pounds. You start adding that across cows that are 2,000 plus pounds or more and then you say 100 head of cattle, you just lost a lot of money," Harris said. "That's what the president has done not to myself, but to all cattlemen across the United States."
Trump did not specify where the imported beef may come from, though Harris speculated it could be from Argentina and Brazil, where other beef has been exported to the U.S. before, or from other parts of South America.
"The other thing that has got farmers upset is when you see the beef at your local grocery store, you won't be able to tell the difference between the beef that came from whatever country, let's say Argentina, versus if it came locally here from somebody in the United States," Harris said.
Harris' calves are sold at two years old, meaning it could take multiple years to "build back the herd" as Trump intended, the retired general said. Instead, the move will just make cattlemen lose profits for the next three months at the same rate the beef is being discounted.
Harris said he and many other ranchers do support live cattle coming across the border from Mexico, and that Mexican beef was a major reason some processing plants in the U.S. can stay open. But the recent spread of screwworm meant much of the transfer of beef across the border stopped, adding to higher prices.
"If the president really wanted to lower the price of beef in the grocery store, the only thing he needed to do was open the border back up with all the precautions and procedures when it comes to screwworm, and get those cattle in here that's still alive, and then it goes through our normal process to ensure that you only get good, quality beef here in the United States," Harris said.
The National Cattleman's Beef Association, which includes Georgia farmers, said it was "disappointed" by Trump's announcement.
"Cattle markets have already turned sharply lower this morning, to the detriment of farmers and ranchers. This is a critical time of year for cattle producers, as we approach the season where they are making decisions regarding their herds. Cattle farmers and ranchers are responding to strong market signals and historically high demand, and we are already working to rebuild after years of ongoing drought, high input costs and other challenges that have reduced U.S. cattle numbers," the organization said. "Today's announcement and other market interventions throw cold water on the prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short term messaging.”
USA TODAY reached out to Representative Fuller for comment on Trump's beef imports and did not receive a response. The representative has not spoken publicly about the beef prices or ranchers in his district.
Bottoms, Ossoff united on beef message
Two other Georgia candidates (and one former Georgia Republican), Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms and Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, both shared Harris' concern for Georgia farmers.
In a message posted on social media, Bottoms said the imports would "cause more chaos for Georgia's cattle producers."
"Donald Trump's plan is reckless and directly hurts Georgia's cattle producers," Bottoms said.
During a press call on Tuesday, Ossoff said he "stand(s) by Georgia ranchers and cattleman, and I would note that the president promised to lower prices on day one," despite beef prices increasing over the past two years.
The call for a different approach to beef in Georgia also came from Harris' former opponent, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
"If Trump really wanted to lower beef prices he would support (Rep. Thomas) Massie’s PRIME Act which allows individual states to permit local custom slaughterhouses to sell individual cuts of meat directly to consumers, restaurants, and grocery stores within that same state," Greene wrote in a post on X.
"MTG and I agree on another issue... Who would have ever thought," Harris said in response.
Irene Wright covers Georgia politics as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Pitting farmer' against 'consumer,' GA cattleman says of beef imports
