Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ a ‘death sentence’ for crucial Aussie industry

One move by Donald Trump could send an Aussie industry into a meltdown – and turn an everyday staple into a “luxury” most can’t afford.

OPINION

On April 2, Donald Trump will celebrate “Liberation Day” — the moment he slaps 25 per cent tariffs on some of America’s biggest trading partners.

But here in Australia, that date could become the beginning of our meat price meltdown.

Mr Trump’s trade war is no sideshow.

The “Dirty 15” countries in his firing line — Japan, China, South Korea, Canada and Mexico among them — are America’s top beef buyers, importing nearly $8 billion worth of meat each year.

When tariffs hit, these countries will retaliate, American beef prices will soar, and they’ll come knocking on Australia’s door for supply.

Now, you might think increased demand for Aussie beef is good news.

But here’s the problem: we no longer control our abattoirs.

Over the past six months, multinational corporations have tightened their grip on processing facilities across Australia.

These abattoirs — once lifelines for small-scale livestock farmers — are now almost exclusively servicing factory-farmed supermarket meat and export markets.

Local producers like me are being locked out entirely.

This isn’t just a supply chain issue — it’s a national crisis.

Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' could ruin one Aussie industry. Picture: Roberto Schmidt/AFP

I didn’t start out as a butcher. I was a vegetarian for nearly a decade. But when I became a mother and needed to improve my iron levels, I made a tough decision.

I returned to meat, but on my own terms — ultimately raising pigs ethically and sustainably on our farm on Djaara Country outside Daylesford, Victoria.

I wanted my kids, and yours, to grow up with access to good, honest, local food. Not factory farmed, boxed protein pumped out by global corporations.

And while we’re on the topic of steak — remember Trump Steaks? Launched with Trumpian bravado in 2007 and sold through The Sharper Image and QVC, they fizzled out in just two months after failing to meet expectations.

Turns out, even a gold-plated sales pitch can’t fix bland meat.

If we let foreign corporates dominate our meat supply, Australians could soon be paying premium prices for cuts that are all sizzle, no steak — Trump Steaks, anyone? Great for a laugh. Terrible for your Sunday barbie.

But the rest of this isn’t funny.

We’re hurtling toward a future where beef mince for spag bol — Australia’s most cooked meal — could jump from $18 per kg to $36 per kg during a disease outbreak, or to $25 per kg if global demand surges due to US trade turmoil.

Beef mince for spag bol — Australia’s most cooked meal — could jump from $18 per kg to $36 per kg during a disease outbreak. Picture: iStock

Rump steak could hit $56 per kg. That’s not dinner — that’s a luxury item.

And what happens when all that’s left is factory-farmed meat?

Disease risk skyrockets.

We’ve seen it already: the avian flu egg crisis, salmon outbreaks in Tasmania (owned by JBS, the world’s largest meat company), and China’s 2019 African Swine Fever disaster, which wiped out 40 per cent of their pigs and doubled pork prices.

Experts say it’s only a matter of time before Foot and Mouth Disease reaches Australia.

If it hits a meat system built on monocultures and mega-farms, we’re done.

The government’s answer? A meagre $3.5 million for a national food security strategy – spread over two years.

That’s not a solution.

That’s a rounding error in the federal budget.

Meanwhile, the PM is talking tough on supermarket price gouging.

But unless we break the supermarket duopoly and stop them funnelling meat through their chosen processors, the price-fixing and supply squeeze will continue.

Diversity is the only way to bring resilience back into our food system.

Australia's meat industry is facing a crisis.

We need urgent regulatory reform to allow on-farm processing, serious investment in micro-abattoirs and fast-tracked permits for regional facilities.

These aren’t pipe dreams — they’re practical, shovel-ready solutions that would give small producers a fighting chance and put power back in the hands of local communities.

Why is this so urgent?

Just look at what happened in December 2024: Hardwicks, Victoria’s largest cattle and sheep abattoir, abruptly shut down its small service kills — giving farmers a mere two weeks’ notice before Christmas.

Many of those producers had no alternative processing options. Their animals were ready, their customers were waiting, but their supply chains were severed overnight.

And here’s the kicker: getting approval to build a micro-abattoir in Australia can take years due to government red tape.

Our farmers don’t have years — they needed these facilities yesterday.

This is what a broken system looks like.

Tammi Jonas says the system is broken. Picture: Richard Cornish

And unless we fix it, more small farmers will walk away. And when they go, they take our food security with them.

This is a wake-up call, Australia.

We’re walking into a perfect storm of global trade chaos, disease risk, and corporate greed – and the people who grow your food are being shut out at every turn.

There’s still time to fix this.

Because if we don’t, April 2 won’t just be Liberation Day in the US — it’ll be the day Australians lost control of their dinner plates.

Let’s not wait until the only meat left is overpriced, imported and Trump-tier terrible.

Let’s fight for real food, from real farmers, before it’s too late.

Tammi Jonas is a small-scale livestock farmer and spokeswoman for the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance

Originally published as Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ a ‘death sentence’ for crucial Aussie industry