TRUMP MOVES TO LET AMERICAN RANCHERS PROCESS AND SELL MORE OF THEIR OWN MEAT
President Donald Trump has announced new measures aimed at giving American ranchers greater ability to process and sell their own meat as his administration seeks to strengthen domestic beef production and reduce dependence on large meat processing companies.
Trump signed a series of executive actions on September 4 designed to support American cattle producers at a time when the United States is experiencing historically low cattle numbers and high beef prices.
One of the major measures seeks to make it easier for ranchers to process and market meat locally.
The administration argues that American cattle producers have become too dependent on a highly concentrated meat processing industry dominated by a small number of major companies.
By expanding local and independent processing capacity, the administration hopes ranchers will have more options for turning their cattle into products that can be sold directly or through regional markets.
The US Department of Agriculture has already launched several programmes supporting this strategy.
In August, USDA opened its Strengthening Processing for US Ranchers programme, making up to $500 million available to eligible independent and regional beef slaughter facilities.
The programme is intended to protect smaller processing operations, increase competition and provide ranchers with alternatives to the country's largest meat processors.
Another $60 million programme has been made available to help eligible meat and poultry processors expand their capacity.
Trump has argued that increasing domestic processing will strengthen American agriculture and allow more of the value generated from cattle production to remain with farmers, ranchers and rural communities.
The new measures do not eliminate federal food safety requirements. Commercial meat processing and sales remain subject to applicable inspection and safety regulations.
The administration is also taking action on other issues affecting cattle producers, including protections against livestock losses from wolves and efforts to improve country of origin information for American beef.
The announcement comes as US cattle numbers have fallen to their lowest level in approximately 75 years following years of drought, wildfires and other pressures on producers.
The decline has contributed to historically high beef prices for American consumers.
Supporters believe expanding independent processing could increase competition and give family owned ranches greater control over their businesses.
Critics and industry analysts say increasing processing capacity alone will not immediately solve high beef prices because rebuilding America's cattle herd could take years.
The administration now faces the challenge of protecting American ranchers while also bringing food prices down for consumers.
For Trump, the new policy represents another part of his broader push to place American farmers and domestic food production at the centre of his economic agenda.
VNTV
