Tester Stresses Importance Of Bills For Ranchers

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., stressed the importance for ranchers and consumers of having his two bills passed that address consolidation in the ag industry.

The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act will increase transparency in the market and set regional mandatory minimum thresholds for negotiated cattle purchases.

Meat Packing Special Investigator Act will put teeth back in the Packers and Stockyards Act by creating a team of investigators within the USDA, with subpoena power, dedicated to preventing and addressing anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industries and enforcing antitrust laws.

“Capitalism has helped to make America the greatest nation the world has ever seen – but capitalism only works if we have competition – and right now a lack of competition, specifically in agriculture, is making it harder and harder for our family farms and ranches to succeed,” Tester said. “In Montana, production agriculture is a way of life, and it’s how countless families across our