Trump Allows Farmers to Process Meat, Targeting Beef Oligopoly
The Trump administration announced it will ease meat processing restrictions, allowing farmers and ranchers to process their own livestock. This follows an antitrust investigation into the industry, where four companies control about 80% of beef processing and purchase roughly 85% of U. S. cattle. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said further measures, including regulatory exemptions and expanded interstate sales, will be announced next Monday.
The Trump administration has announced it will relax meat processing restrictions, permitting farmers and ranchers to process the meat they produce. The administration has already launched an antitrust investigation into the meat processing industry.
The U. S. beef processing sector is currently dominated by four companies. Approximately 85% of U. cattle are purchased by JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill, and National Beef Packing Company, which together control about 80% of beef processing capacity. This high level of concentration has reduced local processing capacity and weakened regional supply chains.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that additional measures will be announced next Monday, including exemptions from certain processing regulations and expanded ability for ranchers to sell meat across state lines. A related bill introduced by U. Representative Thomas Massie has garnered support from dozens of bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, and a pilot program from the bill has been included in the House agriculture bill.
The vertical integration model combines raising, processing, and packaging within a single operation. Baker Ranch's Black Angus cattle are grass-fed, without grains, hormones, or antibiotics. Starting October 5, 2026, the ranch will complete processing on-site, bypassing industrial meat processing plants. The ranch currently conducts local processing outside the four major meat processing companies.