FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Cattle ranchers are clashing over a federal proposal aimed at preserving competition in a livestock industry dominated by a handful of corporate giants.
Around 1,500 people from around the country filled four rooms at Colorado State University for a workshop Friday, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice heard comments on the proposed rule.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says consolidation along the food-supply chain will ultimately hurt consumers.
But ranchers who spoke Friday sharply disagreed whether the proposed rule would help. The rule includes provisions to make private sales contracts more transparent, make it easier to sue over anticompetitive behavior, and prevent sales between meatpackers.
