Trump announces plan to let farmers process their own food

President Donald Trump announced plans on August 28, 2026, to draft legal orders allowing farmers and ranchers to process their own meat, aiming to break up the 85% market monopoly held by Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Co. The proposal, sparked by an interview with radio host Glenn Beck, comes as Trump faces intense backlash from cattle ranchers and Republican senators over his recent decision to temporarily pause tariffs on imported ground beef.

Trump meat processing deregulation plan

• ▪President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on August 28, 2026, that he plans to authorize farmers and ranchers to process their own food to break up the meat processing monopoly
• ▪Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on August 28, 2026, that the administration will roll out initiatives on August 31, 2026, to waive red tape, rescind outdated guidance, and expand interstate meat sales
• ▪President Donald Trump stated on August 28, 2026, that he is authorizing legal documents to be drawn up quickly to grant ranchers and farmers the right to process their own food

Glenn Beck interview influence

• ▪Conservative radio host Glenn Beck urged President Donald Trump during an August 26, 2026, interview to break the back of the four major meat processing companies by easing federal regulations
• ▪During an interview on August 26, 2026, Glenn Beck told President Donald Trump that federal inspections and regulations make it too difficult for ranchers to butcher meat on their own properties

Beef tariff pause backlash

• ▪President Donald Trump faced backlash from cattle ranchers and Republican senators after signing an executive order to temporarily ease tariffs on foreign ground beef imported into the United States
• ▪The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association opposed President Donald Trump's deregulation proposal, stating that weakening federal meat inspection and food safety standards is not the answer
• ▪Republican Senators Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Tim Sheehy of Montana, and John Barrasso of Wyoming voiced opposition to President Donald Trump's decision to ease tariffs on imported ground beef

Meat processing industry concentration

• ▪The United States Justice Department is investigating whether major meatpacking companies have been illegally driving up consumer beef prices
• ▪The United States meat processing sector is currently experiencing a 75-year trough in supply as rising cattle costs outpace gains from soaring prices
• ▪Four major companies control approximately 85% of the United States meat processing market: Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Co.

Federal meat inspection requirements

• ▪Under the 1906 Federal Meat Inspection Act, all meat products sold in the United States must be processed at facilities subject to inspections by the United States Department of Agriculture
• ▪Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky previously introduced the PRIME Act to exempt custom slaughter facilities from federal inspections if they follow state law, but the bill has not advanced

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