If ranchers and farmers are able to pass the increase along.
Farmers are price takers, not price makers.
Agreed. And anybody that thinks the cost of feed, fertilizer, seed, grass, veterinarian or anything else that's a production expense will go down, simply doesn't know what they are talking about.
Let’s take it another step in a different direction. Meat gets transported by truck drivers. Just think of the decrease in volume of transportation goods that would likely result from decreased production and increased taxes.
(sorry for the second post)