How Does COVID-19 Affect the Cattle Industry?

When you clamp down on that grilled hamburger or the next time you slice into a tender ribeye steak think of the farmer who raised that animal all the way to market. And also be aware of how the coronavirus is affecting their livelihood and the cattle industry.

On Thursday U.S. Senator Mike Rounds unveiled a plan to address the ongoing cattle market crisis which has been magnified during the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and could lead to producer bankruptcies.

According to Thursday's release, Rounds says the consistent and growing demand for U.S. beef has only intensified in recent months following a fire at a meatpacking facility, and now, the spread of COVID-19. South Dakota ranching families are on the brink of going under. This is unacceptable. However, there are steps we can take to reverse this trend if we act now.

Senator Rounds outlines his plan with providing immediate relief for cattle producers who are being unfairly harmed due to COVID-19 market disruption, supporting efforts to reinstate Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL), and urging a federal investigation into multiple allegations of anti-trust violations by meatpackers.

In his statement Rounds also is asking the Department of Justice to investigate continued allegations of price-fixing within the cattle market.

Source: U.S. Senator Mike Rounds