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.