BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Meat prices seeing price increases, but the top meatpacking companies are some of the only ones to get a cut of the profits. Now the Biden administration seeks ways to support independent ranchers and farmers.
Inflation is impacting industries and products across the board, now the president is taking this matter into his own hands. But will his efforts trickle down to helping the right people?
The White House says it will dedicate a billion dollars in American rescue plan funds to help independent processors.
Longtime Brazos valley rancher says so far, the benefits of inflation are nowhere in sight.
”We’re not seeing again at the local sale barns or on the rale or anything like that," said Brian Rogers, owner of BCR Ventures. "It’s more on the packers that are seeing the inflation of prices and gain. We’ve yet to see that, we’ve yet to see that trickle-down effect,”
Therefore, the Biden administration plans to step in. They look to help bring equal distribution back to the agriculture industry.
”Well three primary goals will reference to our efforts," said Tom Vilsack, U.S Secretary of Agriculture. "One is to improve farm income, secondly is to make sure that consumers have a choice in competition for their consuming dollar, and third to build a more resilient food system."
Meanwhile, some ranchers have turned to other methods in order to receive some extra cash flow.
“They’ve done some of that privately feeding, privately marketed," added Rogers. "You know farm fresh to table,”
But the Biden administration hopes to change the status quo by putting this action plan in place.
“And the result of doing all of that, and providing the capital, and providing workforce development will be that farmers will have more opportunities to sell their livestock into more markets,” added Vilsack.
The Biden administration's also using tech to free up the path from farm to table. In turn, bringing down costs.
But, ranchers like Rogers say they’re just crossing their fingers the plan works.
“We’re where it starts so we’re the first in the totem pole and usually it always ends up that all when it helps, and we get the governments to step in and help. It always starts at the top and we’re at the very bottom it always seems like we’re the last one to ever see it."