It’s Unreal

Once the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, there is no doubt there will be some changes in our everyday lives. It may not be so drastic for those living in the country, but farmers and ranchers will hopefully have better markets for livestock and crops.

I think there will be some changes in the food supply sector, and the packinghouses are under extreme pressure with their large profits. The reason we need some Congressional hearings and other investigations is to find out just what is happening. 

We can all point our fingers at the packers, but I don’t really know the issues involved and how to correct them. I do know I don’t like foreign ownership of our farm land, packinghouses, energy companies and other vital industries. 

We think we need more medium and smaller packinghouses. The Wyoming Business Council recently completed a study on doing just that in Wyoming. We need to hear more about the study at some time.

We realize most of the large packinghouses are pretty old, at what point is that going to affect the beef and pork supply? 

The number of animals these large packinghouses process daily is huge. We found out what happens to cattle prices if a large plant goes down and was that price decrease illegal? There is so much we don’t know about the management of these large packinghouses, we just need a good investigation.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) are co-sponsoring a bill to phase out large scale farming and feedlots. Remember, these two were democratic candidates running for president on a socialist agenda that went nowhere, thank God. 

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is also co-sponsoring the effort and has introduced companion legislation to the U.S. House. 

The Farm System Reform Act would stop large farms and feedlots over 1,000 head and would change some of the ways large packinghouses buy their fat cattle. I’m for changing how they should buy their fat cattle if it helps ranchers in the hills and those feeding the cattle. 

I’m not sure we need that kind of legislation at this time until we understand just what will work. I am against limiting the size of farms and feedlots. It is apparent those sponsoring the legislation are more interested in the socialistic and radical environmental aspects of the bill. 

A good part of the bill would prohibit the labeling any imported meat as a “Product of USA.” 

I don’t know the packers are getting away with that now, it’s just wrong. 

Although the legislation doesn’t appear to go too far, it does have support from several consumer and radical environmental groups. Also, besides the legislators listed, there are six other Democrats as co-sponsors. It is a partisan piece of legislation. 

We haven’t reached the worst of the meat issue, some have said there is no good answer to the meat industry nightmare. First, we have to get the packinghouse workers healthy and train them in good healthy practices after hours.