Latest
Fact Sheet
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August 5, 2026
America’s Cattle Herd Is Stabilizing— And America First Policies Are Helping
The U.S. beef cow herd has contracted for seven straight years, falling to 27.6 million head on January 1, 2026—the smallest since 1961 (USDA NASS 2026a; Peel 2026a). But the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) July 2026 Cattle report shows the long decline approaching its end: the all-cattle inventory ticked up 0.2% year over year, and producers are holding back cows and heifers to rebuild (USDA NASS 2026b; Peel 2026b). The turn coincides with a coordinated America First strategy working two tracks at once: near-term price relief for consumers and a rebuilt, more competitive American cattle industry.
Op-Ed
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July 28, 2026
Trump enacted the policies that made lower grocery prices possible
Recently, Walmart announced rollbacks on ground beef, ribs, soda, and thousands of other summer staples, part of a number of retailers following suit. President Donald Trump welcomed the news and noted that his administration had asked retailers to deliver for consumers. The media reaction was instant and predictable. CNN and others rushed to inform the country that the sale was already planned, and therefore, no credit to the president, while missing the entire point.
Statement
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July 14, 2026
AFPI Applauds USDA’s FIELDS Program to Rebuild America’s Fertilizer Supply
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) newly announced Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) program, a $500 million effort to expand domestic fertilizer production for American farmers.
Statement
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July 9, 2026
AFPI Applauds USDA’s New SPUR Program for Ranchers
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s newly announced “Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR)” program and increased funding for small and mid-size beef processors.
Op-Ed
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June 24, 2026
Flesh-eating screwworm horror hits US cattle, but Trump’s USDA was ready to fight
The New World Screwworm (NWS) recently was found in American cattle and has gone from a threat moving northward to a near and present danger for U.S. livestock producers. The most effective tool against NWS is also one of the simplest: releasing sterile flies that mate with wild screwworms and collapse the population over time. It is a proven strategy, but it requires planning, infrastructure, and international cooperation long before a crisis reaches our border.