The Center Square | Trump Touts ‘Golden Age’ for Farmers as He Announces Federal Aid
Joe Maxwell, Farm Action’s chief strategy officer and co-founder, said farmers across the country are hurting.
Joe Maxwell, Farm Action’s chief strategy officer and co-founder, said farmers across the country are hurting.
“It’s time to fix this broken system once and for all,” said Angela Huffman, president of Farm Action.
Farm Action has long highlighted the influence of the Big Four meatpacking groups—Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef—which it says have come to dominate the industry.
“I’m really hopeful that this letter can help with the roadmap to some actionable steps,” said Farm Action President Angela Huffman.
Joe Maxwell, co-founder of Farm Action, joins Unscripted to discuss how monopolies in markets like cattle and fertilizer are reshaping agriculture—and not for the better.
Ranchers say they are under pressure from four decades of consolidation among the meat processors that buy their livestock, while facing high input costs.
“If Trump goes through with what he outlined, I do believe it’s a betrayal of the American rancher,” said Farm Action’s Christian Lovell, and Illinois cattle rancher.
“President Trump’s plan to buy beef from Argentina is a betrayal of the American rancher,” said Farm Action’s Christian Lovell.
NPR speaks with farmer and Farm Action co-founder Joe Maxwell about how the government shutdown is stressing already overwhelmed American farmers.
Farm Action said soybeans were the top U.S. agricultural export in 2024, with China purchasing more than half of them.