JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NDFU) – North Dakota Farmers Union praised the Biden Administration’s efforts to assess and address vulnerabilities in America’s supply chains, as seven federal agencies today released reports identifying key weaknesses in critical chains and multi-year strategies to address those weaknesses, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As part of its strategy, USDA launched a $150 million program to support new and expanding meat processors in an effort to increase competition in the meat and poultry processing sectors, and will allocate funds to develop the meat processing workforce.

“Most agriculture markets are controlled by a handful of companies, creating challenges for farmers, ranchers and consumers,” said NDFU President Mark Watne. “Developing local and regional supply chains can be a game changer for North Dakota. USDA’s investment in meat processors will create new opportunities for ranchers and rural communities.”

Watne said he is hopeful further action will be taken by the administration to address antitrust and anticompetitive behavior in consolidated markets, so farmers and ranchers have greater market opportunities.

Farmers Union recently launched a nationwide campaign called “Fairness for Farmers” to draw attention to market concentration and the need for fair markets in agriculture. Learn more at #FairnessForFarmers or ndfu.org.