Query: Will Jeb S. Smith, a true fiscal conservative and a former St. Johns County Commissioner, self-described "farmer from Hastings" run for Florida Secretary of Agriculture and Consumer Services or other office some day?
From St. Johns Citizen:
St. Johns Farm Leader Rips Trump’s Beef Import Plan: ‘Deeply Disappointed’
- By Staff
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The Florida Farm Bureau Federation, led by St. Johns County farmer and former commissioner Jeb Smith, wants President Donald Trump to ditch a plan to temporarily allow more inexpensive foreign beef into country.
Trump announced Friday that he would permit the import of up to 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef over 90 days without a tariff normally applied after established limits are reached.
The administration allows specified quantities of beef from foreign countries to enter at low tariff rates.
Once those quotas are filled, additional imports generally face a much higher tax. Trump’s plan would temporarily nix that higher tariff for more ground beef.
The president said foreign suppliers had committed to selling the meat at 25% below current market prices.
He argued that the measure would ease grocery bills while giving American ranchers time to rebuild the nation’s depleted cattle herd.
The Florida Farm Bureau sharply criticized the move Saturday, saying it would flood the market with “underpriced imports” and harm domestic cattle producers struggling with surging costs, weather problems and supply-chain disruptions.
“This action triggered immediate market shocks at the height of cattle marketing season — impacts producers will feel long after the tariff relief ends,” the organization said.
Smith has served as president of the statewide agricultural organization since 2021.
He is a fifth-generation farmer whose family has worked land in the Hastings area for more than a century.
His St. Johns County operation produces cattle, hay and sod. Smith previously served seven years on the St. Johns County Commission before resigning to lead the Farm Bureau.
Cattle groups argue that introducing large quantities of discounted foreign beef could push down the prices American ranchers receive and discourage them from replenishing their herds.
The U.S. cattle inventory is at its lowest level in approximately 75 years following drought, high feed and operating costs and years of herd reductions.
That limited supply, combined with strong consumer demand, has driven beef prices near record highs.
The Florida Farm Bureau said it supports making groceries more affordable but argued that relying on foreign beef would weaken the domestic food supply.
The organization called for “market-based solutions” that support American production while lowering costs for consumers.
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