Biden administration gives $800 million support for small meatpackers as part of plan to dilute power of 'Big Four'

"President Biden announced a four-point plan for increased competition in the meat industry on Monday, including 'across the board' enforcement of antitrust laws and support of legislation to inject transparency into cattle pricing," Chuck Abbott reports for the Food & Environment Reporting Network. "During a virtual meeting with farmers and ranchers, Biden said meatpacking, dominated by a handful of big processors, was a textbook example of the perils of corporate consolidation."

The administration will provide $800 million to support smaller meatpackers, including $50 million for technical assistance and research. "Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the goal with this new batch of federal grants and loans is to invest in at least 15 small packing plants and to take steps to recruit and train new workers for the industry," O. Kay Henderson reports for RadioIowa.

Also as part of the plan, USDA and the Justice Department are creating a new portal for reporting anti-competitive behavior in the meatpacking industry, Henderson reports.

Abbott reports, "The two other elements of the administration’s 'action plan' were previously-announced initiatives to spend $1 billion to increase the number of independent processors and to toughen USDA’s fair-play rules governing meatpackers."