Four companies own 85% of US beef production. Independent ranchers say consolidation has narrowed their market options, and past federal antitrust cases have largely ended in fines rather than meaningful changes.
Trump said he was going after the “worst of the worst,” but many of the people his administration is detaining and deporting have no criminal record. Agricultural employers are scrambling to find reliable replacements.
The analysis of federal price indexes also shows agricultural producers have consistently paid more to operate than they have received in return, with costs outpacing prices in every month since at least 2015.
While every farm-dependent county in the state has lost population in the past decade, counties tied to meatpacking and food processing are holding on thanks to foreign-born workers — a trend that could be upended by Trump’s deportation plans.
Higher tariffs on nearly all major U.S. trading partners are piling pressure on farmers already struggling with soaring agricultural supply costs and elevated rates.
A federal index designed to flag monopoly risk shows rural grocery markets were already in deep trouble years ago. Proposed USDA cuts could make it even harder for small towns to bounce back.
A bipartisan bill would expand farmland access through legal help, state land programs, and low-interest loans — addressing a growing problem recently highlighted by Investigate Midwest.
