Free Republic

The president prefaced his remarks by reassuring his audience, "I am a capitalist." But he argued that the hunger for profit had to be tempered by competition: "Capitalism without competition is exploitation, it drives up profits — without competition is exploitation." This, he seemed to say, was the state of an industry dominated by meat giants: "Small businesses and family farmers and ranchers — I need not tell some of my Republican friends in those states. You have four basic meatpacking facilities. That is it. You play with them or you don't get the play at all and you pay...

President Joe Biden and his administration are moving to fight inflation in the meat sector. But the government solutions he's proposing to what is largely a government-created calamity will likely only serve to deepen existing problems. Many of the meat-industry problems the Biden administration identifies as in need of fixing are very real. For example, the administration says meat prices are through the roof. That's true. The administration says the meatpacking industry is highly consolidated, with just four giant companies responsible for slaughtering and processing nearly 7 out of every 8 pounds of beef (and slightly lower amounts of pork...

My address to the Colorado Independent Cattlemen’s Association I’m not a cattleman and I’m not going to pretend I know everything you are facing. But I do know that the major weapon being used against your industry is the misnamed control devise called Sustainable Development. I know why and I know who the players are. I hope I can leave you today with some ideas on how to fight them. To begin, let’s set the terms and make one thing very clear. The use of the word sustainable may sound like a comfortable term, not threatening. After all, you, your...

On Friday, the White House warned that federal spending cuts could force the US meat industry to shut down for two weeks or longer. Spending cuts set to take effect on March 1 may lead to the two week furlough of every US meat and poultry inspector. Without inspectors, the industry would be shut down. Meatpackers and processors are not allowed to ship beef, pork, lamb and poultry without an Agricultural Department inspection seal. They also warned that the cuts could lead to effects on everyday life, while meatpackers said it would likely devastate the industry. The "fiscal cliff" has...

The Obama administration warned on Friday that across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect in March may result in furloughing every U.S. meat and poultry inspector for two weeks, causing the meat industry to shut down. By law, meatpackers and processors are not allowed to ship beef, pork, lamb and poultry meat without the Agriculture Department's inspection seal. The prospect of mass furloughs of meat and food inspectors was part of a broader White House warning about the effects of the potential spending cuts on everyday life. Meatpackers said a shut-down would devastate consumers as well as their industry. Read...

DODGE CITY, Kan. - Frightened by raids last year at six Swift & Co. plants, illegal immigrants in the nation's meatpacking towns are preparing for their possible arrest. For years, immigrant rights groups had been confident the meatpacking giants were so powerful immigration agents would never raid them. But since the Dec. 12 sweeps at Swift plants in six states, immigrant advocacy groups have been holding workshops, teaching undocumented workers how to prepare for their arrests by doing such things as drawing up legal documents so someone could care for their children and handle their financial affairs.