National Farmers Union President Rob Larew joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the need to enforce livestock and agriculture anti-trust laws, as well as provide greater teeth to those efforts through enhanced legislation.
Four companies control 85 percent of U.S. beef processing plants, Larew said. Despite higher prices at the grocery store, farmers are paid little for their commodities, he added. Larew estimated that for high-grade beef sold at $8 per pound at the grocery store, a farmer will earn as little as $2.25 per pound.
Larew explained that both anti-trust laws and enforcement of those laws greatly eroded during the Reagan Administration, and since then, farmers have suffered. He called for improved legislation that adds teeth to existing laws and better enforcement measures.
Larew also talked about the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, which if passed, would create a food and supply chain task force to bring fairness back to the market and better enforce existing anti-trust legislation.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.