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.
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.
As many as 700 USDA workers on the frontlines of pest detection and crop protection have accepted deferred resignation offers. Their departure could slow inspections, delay outbreak response and leave the nation’s crops exposed to invasive species — which could harm the agricultural economy.
