To the editor:

Importing beef from Argentina is a bad idea! It is a slap to the face of every beef producer in the country. Penalizing these hard-working beef producers with imported beef is a travesty.

Raising beef requires being ready to react to any number of issues 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Power outages to sick animals. Mechanical breakdowns and calves from heifers not supposed to be bred. Rain, shine, sleet, snow, hot, below zero wind chills. They feed and care for the animals in it all. Cattle must be fed every day at least once. There must be continuous fresh water available. They need to be bedded in high stress conditions such as extreme cold, blizzards, extreme mud, etc.

Regardless of how ill one may feel, the cattle still must be fed every single day. Enjoy your holiday(s) as best you can, but it will be around chores. For all the sacrifices these hard-working people make every day of every year regardless of how they might feel and in spite of the weather, everything must work to mix and deliver the feed to animals and provide for their other needs.

I cannot get behind penalizing our beef producers by supporting bringing in Argentinian beef to bring prices down. USDA in Argentina? I don’t think so. Up to our standards of sanitation and safety in the handling of meat? Your guess is as good as mine.

Look at how many beef producers have been lost in the last decade. One-hundred thousand would be a good guess. Perhaps someone might want to look into reversing the decline of the number of beef producers. But now that the cow is out of the barn, let’s slam the door. Argentinian beef may be good beef, but I really don’t want to try it. I will stick with Iowa corn-fed beef.

If this importation of Argentinian (or any other country) beef takes place, I for one will only purchase/eat beef from businesses that verify theirs is USDA American grown beef. If they can’t, I will go somewhere where they can.

Al Deal

Fort Dodge