The Texas Department of Agriculture said Commissioner Sid Miller praised President Donald Trump’s pledge to strengthen the nation’s cattle industry by cutting federal red tape, expanding opportunities for independent beef processors and giving ranchers more freedom to sell directly to consumers.
According to an Aug. 28 news release from the department, Miller said the proposal would inject badly needed competition into the beef market, strengthen American producers and help put more of the consumer’s beef dollar back in the pockets of the men and women who raise the cattle.
Miller framed the issue as one of market concentration. “President Trump is absolutely right to take on the stranglehold the big meatpackers have on America’s cattle industry,” Miller said in the statement. “Four companies – some of them foreign-owned – control roughly 85 percent of beef processing, and for too long our ranchers have suffered in a market that simply isn’t competitive. That ultimately leads to higher prices and a lack of selection in our markets.”
The commissioner said the changes he supports center on processing and marketing flexibility for producers. “Giving farmers and ranchers more freedom to process and market their own beef, cutting red tape, strengthening independent processors, and opening more avenues for direct sales are exactly the kinds of America First reforms we need,” Miller said. He added that food safety can be enhanced “without protecting foreign-owned interests in our food supply.”
Miller closed by urging quick action. “President Trump understands something Washington too often forgets: the people raising the cattle need to have a fair shot at making a living from them,” he said. “I applaud the President for listening to America’s ranchers and taking action. Now let’s move fast, break up the bottlenecks, and put more power back in the hands of American producers and American families.”
The department’s statement, issued from Austin, did not identify specific federal rules targeted for repeal or set out a timeline for the changes, and it did not indicate what role, if any, the state would play in carrying them out.