By Jarrett Renshaw and Leah Douglas
WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would sign executive orders that would allow cattle ranchers to protect their herds against gray wolves, as well as other measures that aim to ease high beef prices.
Trump said he would also take steps to require country-of-origin labeling for imported beef, and make it easier for ranchers and farmers to sell food that they have processed themselves, currently restricted under federal food safety laws.
Retail beef prices have hit record highs this year, due in part to a historically low cattle supply constrained by drought and wildfires.
Opinion polls show rising costs are a top concern of voters ahead of the November midterm elections, when Trump’s Republicans will try to maintain control of Congress.
Some ranchers have long sought to restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, arguing that it would support domestic producers and provide more transparency to consumers.
The dispute over beef labeling spans decades. In 2009, the U.S. required retailers to mark food with origin labels. But Canada and Mexico argued that the provision disadvantaged their cattle and pigs. In 2015, the World Trade Organization ruled in favor of the two countries, leading the U.S. to repeal mandatory labeling for meat.
Under current regulations, meat companies can voluntarily add a “Product of USA” label for meat born, raised and slaughtered within the country.
Trump signed last week an order to temporarily increase imports of some lower-tariff beef in an effort to bring down prices.
That was met with mixed reactions from ranchers and farmers, who have overwhelmingly voted for Trump in past elections.
Producer groups opposed Trump’s import plan, which they argued will disadvantage American ranchers, but responded more favorably to a suite of actions announced this week by the Department of Agriculture to support the beef sector.
(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Leah Douglas; Editing by Andy Sullivan, Susan Heavey, Sanjeev Miglani and Andrea Ricci )
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