What's going on with the mid-Missouri cattle business?
Beef prices at the grocery store are sky high, but cattle ranchers aren't seeing new profits. It turns out that the giant corporations are squeezing consumers and blaming supply chain problems, but cattle ranchers are suffering from lack of competition as only a few corporations own all the markets. In this podcast, 4th generation cattle man Jeff Jones gives the view from on the farm. 100 years ago, Congress passed the Packers and Stockyards Act to prevent this kind of consolidation but that law is not being enforced. There is a solution... break up the corporations!
Beef prices at the grocery store are sky high, but cattle ranchers aren't seeing new profits. It turns out that the giant corporations are squeezing consumers and blaming supply chain problems, but cattle ranchers suffer from lack of competition because only a few corporations own all the markets. And consumers don't know where their meats come from because labeling is misleading. Labels that say "USA" can be used for meat imported from other places and processed here. In this podcast, 4th generation Angus cattle man Jeff Jones gives the view from on the farm. The Jones family business raises cattle on pasture and not in confinement, so the animals stay healthy without the need for antibiotics and medicines. Consolidation of the industry is hurting businesses like this because it turns out that only a few giant corporations control the business and there is no competition for the cattle raised by family farms. 100 years ago, Congress passed the Packers and Stockyards Act to prevent this kind of consolidation but that law is not being enforced. There is a solution... break up the corporations.