By Garrett Hawkins
As livestock producers, we strive to care for our animals and raise a wholesome product for our family, friends and neighbors. In return, we want a fair price for our livestock, which is increasingly difficult these days.
Last spring, the COVID-19 virus crippled the meat and poultry supply chain. The fallout from disruptions in processing and transportation fell squarely on the shoulders of livestock producers. A few dominant meatpackers certainly seemed to put the squeeze on farmers and ranchers while making record profits. Notably, four major packers control more than 80 percent of today’s U.S. beef packing industry.
An August 2019 fire at a processing facility in Holcomb, Kansas, and disruptions during the pandemic reignited long-standing concerns about transparency in cattle markets. In recent months, the dramatic spread between the price producers are receiving for fed cattle and the price packers are charging for wholesale boxed beef going into the supply chain has further fanned the flames of frustration among farmers, ranchers and feeders. The end result squeezes the pocketbook of both consumers and producers.