Biden continues targeting Big Meat with new USDA rules – By Haisten Willis (Washington Examiner) / May 29, 2022
The Biden administration continued its crusade against Big Meat this week with the unveiling of new rules designed to lower prices and spur more competition within the industry.
The Department of Agriculture has unveiled proposals it says will help small farmers compete and cut against the dominance of four large meat processing companies, ideas it has promoted dating back to 2021.
“For too long, farmers and ranchers have seen the value and the opportunities they work so hard to create move away from the rural communities where they live and operate,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “The funding and new rule we’re announcing today ultimately will help us give farmers and ranchers a fair shake, strengthen supply chains, and make food prices fairer.”
Using antitrust legislation such as the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, the USDA is proposing new standards that require more transparency regarding how farmers are paid by processors such as Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foods. There will be a 60-day public comment period before final versions of the rules are released.
