Small ranchers say Biden letting them get squeezed | TheHill

America’s independent cattle ranchers say major corporations in the beef industry are squeezing them out — and that the Biden administration is letting it happen.

But farmers say Biden hasn't gone far enough to rein in larger meat-packing companies, a handful of which control the bulk of the hog, cattle and chicken markets.

“We want to bring some semblance of competition back to cattle market,” said Tim Gibbons of Missouri Rural Crisis Center, which represents 5,600 farming families.

“Missouri has 50,000 cattle producers, but 80 percent of beef packing is controlled by four companies," Gibbons said, adding while Biden has spoken out on some of the biggest issues, "nothing has changed.".

This allowed big meatpacking companies to bury smaller entities under an avalanche of cheap, foreign-raised beef while labeling it American-made, said Missouri rancher Darvin Bentlage.

"That pound of ground beef may say ‘Made in the USA,’ but it could be from five or six countries," Bentlage said.

The American beef and poultry industry has a long history of shake-ups, with the farm foreclosure crisis and a consolidation in the meatpacking industry in the 1980s ushering in an era of regional meat monopolies, according to Frerick.

During the Obama presidency, the meat industry lobbied hard against two specific initiatives aimed at bringing more competition to meat markets: One that would have empowered the USDA to fight unfair or deceptive practices by packers and another mandating country-of-origin labeling.

“In a time of down cattle markets, the last thing USDA needs to do is limit opportunity," National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Tracy Brunner argued in a statement at the time. "The fact of the matter is: We don’t trust the government to meddle in the marketplace.".

“Capitalism without competition” is “exploitation,” Biden said, turning the table over to a cattle rancher who complained of “take it or leave it” prices from meatpackers?

Some in GOP begin testing party's lockstep loyalty to Trump MORE, to introduce the American Beef Labeling Act, which would reinstate certificate-of-origin labeling.

“Montana ranchers raise the best cattle in the world, and it’s time American families are guaranteed the right to know whether their beef is from Broadus or Brazil,” Tester said in a statement