Texas Rancher Applauds Trump’s Probe into Meatpacking Giants Amid Beef Price Surge
LA GRANGE, Texas — Along the rolling pastures of Texas cattle country, where generations have eked out a living on razor-thin margins, rancher Cole Bolton of K&C Cattle Company welcomes renewed federal focus on the meatpacking industry’s pricing practices. Bolton, whose family has raised cattle for decades, says the financial strain on ranchers has been relentless, with profit margins squeezed tightly by the dominant packers.
“What the real issue is, is the price differential between the big four packers and what they’re paying us for the product,” Bolton told Fox News Digital. The “big four”—Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, and National Beef—control approximately 85% of the U.S. grain-fattened cattle processing market, wielding significant influence over prices from pasture to plate.
Bolton’s perspective comes amid America’s smallest cattle herd in 70 years, a historic low that experts say will require years to rebuild. This scarcity, combined with the packers’ market power, has contributed to record-high beef prices that burden consumers nationwide.
In response to these pressures, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate potential anti-competitive behavior in the food supply chain, including the meatpacking sector. The order emphasizes concerns about price fixing and foreign-controlled companies potentially exacerbating costs for American families.
“My administration will act to determine whether anti-competitive behavior, especially by foreign-controlled companies, increases the cost of living for Americans and address any associated national security threat to food supply chains,” Trump stated in the order released last Saturday.
The Justice Department and FTC now have the authority to bring enforcement actions or propose new regulations if investigations uncover wrongdoing. While the probe does not specifically name companies, it targets the structural challenges that have long plagued cattle ranchers.
Ranchers like Bolton have endured decades of tight profitability. “Ranchers have dealt with such thin margins of profitability for the last 20 years,” he said, reflecting a widespread frustration in rural communities where cattle raising is both livelihood and legacy.
Experts warn that rebuilding the national herd will take time, and until then, beef prices may remain elevated. The federal scrutiny aims to ensure the supply chain operates more fairly and transparently, potentially easing pressure on ranchers and consumers alike.
For more details on the federal investigation and food supply chain security, visit the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission websites. Insights into livestock statistics and cattle inventory can be found through the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Additionally, the Economic Research Service provides analysis on food price trends and market dynamics.
As federal agencies delve deeper into the meatpacking industry’s role in pricing, ranchers like Bolton hope this marks a turning point after decades of economic hardship. The outcome could reshape an industry critical to America’s food security and rural economies.
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