Through USDA efforts, ranchers flex some selling muscle
Mike Moen
Mike Moen
JAMESTOWN, N.D. The beef or chicken you buy from the grocery store is often processed by the same small number of companies.
Advocates for farmers and ranchers said it hurts producers and consumers, but they are encouraged by new federal efforts to steer the supply chain to smaller plants.
The Biden administration recently announced sweeping plans to bolster competition among a range of industries, including agriculture. Tied to that is a USDA investment to increase production capacity among non-corporate processing plants.
Donald Rude, a rancher from northeastern North Dakota, said it is hard to make a profit when the markets are dominated by only a handful of operations.
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MARKETING OPPORTUNITY: Livestock producers can take out the middleman by direct marketing of their own meat products, as long as they follow state and federal guidelines for meat inspection and proper labeling. Labeling and inspection are key components to a program’s success.
Livestock producers looking to cut out the middleman by marketing meat products directly to consumers need to adhere to state and federal regulations.
Nathan Kroh, information coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s meat and poultry inspection program, says those regulations are stringent and must be followed to protect producers and consumers.