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Deering says DOJ needed in cattle mkt investigation

Many state cattle groups have banded together to ask for Department of Justice assistance into the unprecedented market reactions in the cattle industry.

Mike Deering, Executive Vice President of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association says a DOJ investigation would help boost the one going on since last summer by USDA. Deering tells Brownfield Ag News, “Secretary Perdue made extremely clear that his department has limited resources to be able to do an investigation of this scope so let’s bring in the Department of Justice.”

Deering says cattle producers need a thorough and quick resolution to the problems caused by the Tyson plant fire last August in Kansas and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just because these investigations are ongoing, it should be no excuse for inaction. We need Congress. We need agriculture organizations to continue to be laser-focused on long term structural changes in the marketplace.” Deering says cattle producers cannot and should not have to wait another eight months for answers in the huge price disparities that have occurred.