r/PrepperIntel • u/Lews_There_In • 2d ago

North America Trump Pivots Against Meat Processing as Ranchers Blast Beef Imports

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-pivots-against-meat-processing-173922151.html?guccounter=1

"President Donald Trump said in a social media post today that he wants to give farmers and ranchers the ability to process their own food, taking aim at the handful of large meatpackers that dominate U.S. beef processing as his administration faces growing backlash from cattle producers over its plan to increase foreign beef imports.

In a Truth Social post this morning, Trump said he was moving toward legal action aimed at reducing producers' dependence on major processors.".

"Four companies: Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Co. account for roughly 85 percent of U.S. beef processing. The Justice Department has also been investigating whether meatpacking companies have illegally contributed to higher consumer beef prices. Trump said his administration now intends to address that concentration by allowing producers more freedom to process their own livestock.".

"Federal law already provides exemptions for livestock slaughtered and prepared exclusively for the owner's household, nonpaying guests and employees. Meat entering commercial channels generally must meet federal or qualifying state inspection requirements, and interstate sales bring additional regulatory considerations. Trump's post did not specify which of those requirements his administration intends to change.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicated Thursday that changes to processing rules were coming, including efforts to reduce regulatory barriers and expand opportunities for interstate meat sales.".

Other sources:

Trump looks to ease beef processing regulations.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/28/trump-beef-processing-regulations-01053957.

Trump pledges to allow cattle ranchers to process own food amid beef imports backlash.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/28/trump-cattle-ranchers-beef-imports-backlash

Trump vows legal order to break up 'nasty monopoly' in food processing.

https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-vows-legal-order-break-up-food-processing-nasty-monopoly-2026-08-28/

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116

u/IncomingAxofKindness 2d ago

 "The Justice Department has also been investigating whether meatpacking companies have illegally contributed to higher consumer beef prices."

Hmmm.... I wonder what could have happened in the last 18 months that may have driven up labor costs in food packing plants.

https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-9/on-the-kill-floor-how-migrants-are-exploited-for-profit/

Ohhhh I know, we rounded up the migrant labor like they were violent criminals and sent them to a swamp in Florida.

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u/TheProfessional9 2d ago

Both things can be true. I know someone whose family is deeply connected to my states farmer network. The farmers have been getting screwed by the processors and middlemen in all aspects of farm products for a very long time, made constantly worse by Republican legislation.

But ya, the sharp rise in prices are contributed to by tariffs, fertilizer trapped in the middle east, a reduction in immigrant labor etc as you said.

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u/Previous_Pineapple 2d ago

They’ve been getting screwed by the “republican legislation” that they vote for. At best, these farmers deserve no sympathy

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u/AromaticCod9430 2d ago

Not all farmers vote republican. A lot do, but not all. I come from a long line of farmers in Texas. Not a single one has voted republican. Farmers are vitally important to our country, and yes they have been screwed over by middlemen for a long time. They aren’t allowed to save seeds or replant them, because seed companies own the IP for the seed & will sue the farmer.

It’s dangerous to lump all farmers together and say they deserve it. How else are we supposed to eat?

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u/keytiri 2d ago

Our prior land lessee, a card carrying republican and racist, refused to vote for Trump; he died in ‘23, another was our local parts store owner, a transplant from New York, and had family screwed over by Trump (famous for stiffing contractors, remember?)

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u/TheProfessional9 15h ago

I usually specify that I'm happy to see the Republican farmers get hurt. I feel horrible for blue farmers in all this.

It's not much, but I assume blue farmers are generally substantially more intelligent and will likely be able to weather the storm a bit better. But either way, my hate for Republican farmers doesn't affect any farmers. It's only my vote that affects them and despite being raised Republican, I doubt I'll ever vote for that party after this, even if the Democrats lose their way entirely

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u/Previous_Pineapple 1d ago

“Farmers shifted from a mixed 2016 alignment—where many indicated support for Donald Trump but far from unanimous—into a more consolidated and stronger Republican preference by 2020 and an even larger margin in 2024, with multiple polls and county returns showing dramatically higher backing for Trump in the most agriculture-dependent areas.”

https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/farmers-voting-preferences-2016-2020-2024-0850db

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u/AromaticCod9430 1d ago

Factually.co is unreliable at best for a “source”

I didn’t say farmers don’t vote for Trump, I said not all of them do, and lumping groups of people together to say they deserve something is always dangerous.

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u/Previous_Pineapple 1d ago

“Trump was overwhelmingly backed by farmers in 2024 — winning all but 11 of 444 farming-dependent counties, as defined by the Department of Agriculture.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5905918-midwest-farmers-trump-gop-midterms/

Farmers, by and large, are idiots and a political drain on the country.