This is the fourth rule introduced this year to reduce meatpacking consolidation.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a new rule clarifying how to file complaints alleging monopolistic behavior in the meatpacking industry.
America’s meatpacking industry is heavily consolidated, with the four largest meat companies controlling over 70 percent of the beef market: Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS, and National Beef Packing. If the proposed rule is approved, it provide clear guidelines for ranchers and small companies to document the ways that monopolistic practices have damaged their businesses.
“Entrenched market power and the abuses that flow from it remain an obstacle to achieving lower prices for consumers and fairer practices for producers,” stated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Today’s proposed rule stands for clear, transparent standards so that markets function fairly and competitively for consumers and producers alike.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Vilsack to receive God’s direction as he heads the USDA.
- For wisdom for USDA officials as they field antitrust complaints from meat producers.
Sources: Reuters, Department of Agriculture
