President Trump’s plan to import more beef from Argentina hit a nerve with ranchers, not only because it sunk cattle futures, but because U.S. ranchers already feel threatened by unlabeled imports.
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The shutdown is the latest blow to agriculture antimonopoly work, as the Trump administration cancels Biden-era projects promoting seed competition and state-level antitrust enforcement.
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RFK Jr. praised McDonald’s $200M donation as the Trump administration cuts USDA staff that support rangeland conservation. Rather than fund short-term projects, advocates want McDonald’s to pay ranchers a fair price for better practices.
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The DOJ approved Wayne-Sanderson’s takeover of the 21st largest chicken processor, Harrison Poultry. The deal has minimal near-term risks to competition, but contributes to the broader trend of industry concentration.
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USDA has little power to punish poultry plants with excessive salmonella levels or prevent tainted product from getting to market. The Trump administration withdrew a proposal that would have changed this.
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As Americans struggle with record egg prices, the largest U.S. egg company plans to transfer its record profits to a few family owners and buy up an egg patty maker in cash.
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Egg corporations have too much power to exploit disruptions like bird flu to push up prices. Bird flu also hits harder on massive, consolidated farms: recent outbreaks on just 10 large farms could take out 18 million hens, or 6% of the U.S. egg laying population.
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In the final days of the Biden administration, antitrust enforcers filed several lawsuits and finalized rules to help farmers and independent retailers.
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A JBS-owned rendering company, MOPAC, canceled all services for independent meat processors on Dec. 1. Without a place for their waste, small packers and the farms they serve are going under.
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Cattle producers want policies to protect competition in cash markets that set prices for the whole industry. USDA took a first step to do something about it, but it can’t finish the job before Biden’s term is up.
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Cooks Venture promised to be a different kind of poultry company. It used the same old abusive and reckless business tactics, hurting farmers and workers.
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Rural grocers share challenges and innovations at bi-annual conference, and USDA better defines “unfair practices” under the Packers and Stockyards Act.
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