Staff Reports
Glenn Beck put the problem plainly on the table: why is beef so expensive when ranchers are going broke? On his program this week he pressed President Donald Trump to “please…look at the cartel that is the meat processing cartel,” and Mr. Trump said he would “look into” whether regulation is choking small processors. For anyone who eats and cares about the American rancher, that was a welcome, if overdue, phone call.
High beef prices, broken ranchers — and a real cartel
The headline is simple: grocery bills are rising while many cattle producers are losing money. The industry is heavily concentrated — the top four beef packers control roughly 85% of U.S. packing capacity. You’ve heard the names: Cargill, Tyson, JBS and National Beef. President Trump echoed what ranchers have been saying in backrooms and at coffee shops: “it’s four places, and it’s a monopoly.” Glenn Beck called the federal rules a chokehold that keeps small processors from growing. It’s not hyperbole to call this a cartel when a handful of firms set the market’s terms.
Inspection law matters — and the “easy fix” is not so easy
Anyone shouting “deregulate!” needs to know what the rules actually do. Federal law generally requires meat sold in interstate commerce to come from USDA/FSIS‑inspected plants. A “custom‑exempt” plant can slaughter animals for the owner’s personal use, but custom exemption explicitly bans selling that meat. That’s why farmers and small towns can’t just open a backyard processor and ship steaks across state lines. Changing that setup would need careful rule changes, pilot programs, or new laws — not just good intentions. Also: a caller on the show claimed a West Virginia law already bypasses USDA. That claim is unverified in mainstream records and would likely conflict with federal inspection rules unless it’s a narrow, in‑state program. Caveat emptor on that one.
Trump’s options — imports, deregulation, or enforcement
The White House has already tried one emergency move: allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef in tariff‑free to cool prices. Ranch groups rightly warned that dumping discounted imports risks depressing cattle prices and hurting producers who already can’t rebuild herds. So Mr. Trump faces two choices that aren’t mutually exclusive: short‑term price relief via imports, and longer‑term fixes that actually rebuild American processing. The practical tools are there — fast‑track USDA grant money, technical help for regional plants, streamlined paperwork for small processors, pilot programs to expand state inspection participation, and harder antitrust enforcement from DOJ. Those are the sensible steps. The magic wand that instantly breaks an 85% concentration? That doesn’t exist without legislation and careful safety guardrails.
Act like you mean it — for ranchers and consumers
If the administration really wants to help ranchers and lower beef costs, it should stop treating this like a cable TV soundbite and start using real tools. Push targeted deregulation that helps tiny processors get to scale, fund regional plants, and back strong antitrust actions against anti‑competitive behavior. And don’t sell out American ranchers with a temporary import flood that only relieves shoppers for a month while wrecking producers for years. The president said he’d “look into” the cartel — good. Now follow through with policy that protects food safety, promotes competition, and actually puts money back in the pockets of the people who raise our beef. Ranchers deserve more than sympathy on the radio; they deserve a plan that works.
