Trump moves to allow farmers, ranchers to process their own food

President Trump announced Friday he would move to allow American farmers and ranchers to process their own food, hitting back against what he called the “monopoly” created by large processors.

Trump noted in a post on Truth Social that farmers and ranchers “have always been a number one priority” for him, adding that he has heard they have had an issue with big processors.

The president wrote, “There are, essentially, 4 of them, a very non competitive number, and they make life miserable for our wonderful Farmers and Ranchers, and I can’t let that happen, can I?”

“So, in order to break this powerful monopoly, with much of its ownership based outside of the U.S., I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD. This should move quickly,” he continued.

The move comes as Trump has faced backlash from ranchers as well as a number of congressional Republicans after his administration rolled out a plan to import 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free foreign ground beef over 90 days.

The critics argue that selling beef at a 25 percent discount puts downward pressure on what domestic ranches are able to charge. Additionally, industry experts say that savings from the move may not reach shoppers because of large packers and retailers getting the margin.