WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew released the following statement after President Trump signed two executive orders to support American ranchers:
“The president is right: corporate consolidation in meat processing is a crisis for family farmers and ranchers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must fully enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act. Many administrations have prioritized antitrust efforts, but farmers and ranchers are looking for results. We urge USDA and the Department of Justice to direct the personnel and resources needed to hold meatpackers accountable.
“A competitive livestock market also needs diversified processing options. Efforts to provide greater processing flexibility could help family farmers and ranchers, but not at the expense of food safety.
“With broad support from family ranchers, American consumers, the Senate Agriculture Committee and now the president of the United States, now is the time for Congress to finish the job and reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling.”
