The purposes of the 1921 Packers and Stockyards Act is to ensure fair competition and fair trade practices, to safeguard farmers and ranchers, and to protect consumers and members of the livestock, meat, and poultry industries from unfair, deceptive, unjustly discriminatory and monopolistic practices. The Act was enacted in response to concerns that the largest meat processors of that era had engaged in anticompetitive practices that had a deleterious effect on producers and consumers. However, ranch advocates claim today’s market place is even more consolidated than it was in 1921. They say Rural America is drying up because it can’t get fair prices at the farm gate, and that Capitalism isn’t working in this particular instance because of industry concentration and consolidation. Consumers usually pay higher prices without industry competition and prices are often set without regard to what people can afford. They believe more sunlight and guardrails are needed to end the meat packer de facto monopoly, or our food security will be at risk.

Pending Legislation: S.228 - Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2023
Sponsor: Sen. Deb Fischer (NE)
Status: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Chair: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI)