Arizona cattle rancher says it will take years to replenish herds

An Arizona cattle rancher said it will be years before herds can be replenished to levels that bring down beef prices.

However, Tim Petersen, owner of the Arizona Grass Raised Beef Co., said the timeline depends on if the federal government removes red tape that inhibits growth.

“If we can get that going in the right direction, which I think we might be, I think it’s still another five to eight years before we ever really see these cattle herds coming around,” Petersen told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Tuesday.

Petersen said the reopening of southern border ports of entry to cattle is a step in the right direction. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that livestock imports from Mexico will be phased back in starting Aug. 24 at the port of entry in Douglas, Arizona.

The USDA suspended southern border livestock imports in May 2025 in response to the northward spread of the New World screwworm in Mexico.

The New World screwworm isn’t a food safety issue, but the parasites can kill animals because their larvae eat live flesh. A widespread infestation would reduce beef supply and drive prices up even higher.

Cattle inventories are at a 70-year low

Petersen said U.S. cattle inventories are already at a 70-year low while consumer demand for beef is rising.

“We have to do something, and opening the border is one of those components that will help that,” the Yavapai County rancher said.

Petersen said screwworms are still a concern in the industry, but he does not think imported cattle pose a significant threat.

“The bigger problem is not just cattle coming across the border, but it’s companion dogs and wildlife. In fact, most of the issues they’ve had in Texas, there’s been like 42 incidences now, a lot of those are blamed on dogs coming back across the border and/or wildlife. It’s not so much cattle,” he said.

Petersen noted that state and federal experts are working to train ranchers about the situation with screwworms.

“The Arizona Cattle Growers, the Arizona Farm Bureau, the Arizona Department of Agriculture, the University of Arizona — we’re all working overtime to train and get ranchers up to snuff on what’s coming our way with the screwworms. So, there’s a lot going on, and the USDA at the federal level is really doing a lot, as well,” he said.

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