Shoppers often complain there are rarely any coupons for fresh products like meat and produce. And with beef prices soaring lately, the lack of coupons is forcing many to scratch steak or ground beef off their shopping lists.
But one outspoken cattleman has an idea to help shoppers and his fellow cattlemen alike – government-funded “Beef Bucks.”
Missouri livestock auction owner Jim Hertzog describes it more formally as the “American Beef Coupon Program.” He’s written up a proposal that he says his local Congressman has expressed interest in turning into law.
“Beef prices have risen significantly in recent years, putting pressure on American families at the grocery store,” his proposal reads. So he’s calling on the federal government to “implement a domestic beef coupon program,” providing consumers with “a $1-per-pound discount coupon or digital rebate for U.S.-raised beef purchased at retail.”
He came up with the proposal after the Trump administration floated the idea of importing more beef from Argentina to help increase supply and reduce prices. But many lawmakers, ranchers and Hertzog himself expressed concern that would harm the U.S. beef industry.
His coupon suggestion, in contrast, is “a simple, direct-to-consumer approach that lowers prices without harming American producers,” Hertzog’s proposal explains. “Instead of replacing American beef with foreign imports, let’s help our own producers feed our own people. A $1-per-pound beef coupon gives every family a break at the grocery store – and gives rural America a fair shot to remain competitive.”
Hertzog has pitched his plan to Missouri Congressman Mark Alford, who dubbed the plan “Beef Bucks.” Alford’s office did not respond to a request for comment about his thoughts on the proposal, but Hertzog told Brownfield Ag News that “he really liked it, he’s going to move it forward and put it in a bill.”
Alford was supportive of Hertzog’s position during a recent meeting with cattlemen. “Importing more Argentinian beef undermines those very same producers who we all want to help,” he said in a statement. “We must seek market-based solutions to strengthen our food supply chain and lower grocery prices.”
Of course, some of the big questions are how these beef coupons would be distributed, and where the money would come from. While Hertzog’s proposal suggests that “funding could come from existing agricultural or consumer relief programs,” he acknowledged that “the federal government is going to have to figure that out.”
Another potential sticking point is that there’s already something called “Beef Bucks.” South Dakota cattle producers came up with their own Beef Bucks program back in 1997. The nonprofit group sells prepaid checks and debit cards that can be redeemed for the purchase of beef at grocery stores or restaurants.
Whatever you call it, Hertzog insists his plan is a better idea than importing cheaper beef. His coupon program would “help the American consumer to buy American beef, and then it’s a trickle-down effect,” he said. “It helps everybody in the United States.”
So if you’re dismayed at the cost of beef at the grocery store, and wish there were coupons to help – at least one cattleman shares your concern. His hope now is that federal lawmakers will, too.
Image source: KOMUnews 
