(NAFB) – The USDA and White House co-hosted a meeting to discuss competition priorities in the farm bill.

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew took part, saying that the U.S. needs a farm bill that prioritizes fair and competitive markets. “Today’s event shows the need for this issue to be addressed in the 2023 Farm Bill,” Larew says. “Our Fairness for Farmers Campaign has sounded the alarm on monopolies, and this meeting is a sign our concerns are being heard by our decision-makers.”

The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association also took part in the event. USCA Vice President Lia Biondo says the discussion marked progress toward a fairer, more competitive marketplace. “A Texas A & M study shows that without the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, negotiated trade in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico is expected to fall to zero by 2026,” she says. “Zero percent negotiated trade is a wholly vertically-consolidated industry.”