The Texas Farm Bureau is endorsing President Donald Trump’s push for a federal investigation into major meatpacking companies, saying the industry’s consolidation has long hurt cattle producers across the state.
Trump on Friday. Nov. 7, urged the U.S. Department of Justice to examine whether the nation’s largest beef processors have engaged in anticompetitive practices that could be pushing consumer prices higher.
In a series of social media posts, he accused packers of driving up supermarket costs through “collusion” and “price manipulation,” linking beef inflation to broader frustrations over the cost of living.
The call for scrutiny comes as rising food prices continue to weigh on Trump politically following Republican setbacks in key elections last week. Beef costs, in particular, have become a centerpiece of his messaging as he promises to ease household expenses.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said Nov. 10 that producers welcome the federal attention.
“Consolidation in the beef industry is a serious concern for Texas beef producers,” Boening said in a statement. “Texas Farm Bureau supports USDA and DOJ aggressively enforcing antitrust laws and opposing further packer concentration.”
Boening emphasized that ranchers have little influence over what consumers pay at the grocery store, even as their own costs climb.
“Producers are price-takers, not price-makers,” he said. “Beef producers took a substantial hit on the price of their commodity in recent weeks, but the price consumers paid for beef did not decrease at the supermarket.”
Tensions between ranchers and the administration have mounted in recent months.
Trump previously urged cattle producers to lower their prices and floated the idea of increasing beef imports from Argentina— proposals that sparked backlash from U.S. ranchers who said those moves could further depress their income without offering real relief to shoppers.
Boening stressed that Texas cattle producers should not be blamed for high retail beef costs.
“There are many influences on today’s consumer beef prices, one of which is supply and demand,” he said.
Texas Farm Bureau officials encouraged the federal government to take a closer look at market dynamics that they argue disadvantage producers while keeping retail prices elevated.
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