Jon Henry continues to seek answers for the TN Farmers & Citizens
Riddleton, TN - The National Farm Security Action Plan rolled out by the Trump Administration addresses several areas of concern regarding America’s Food systems.1 Domestic supply and control of an abundant, safe, and accessible food supply is the keystone of a nation. Foreign ownership of farmland was specifically addressed as a chief concern by the Trump Administration. Alongside foreign ownership of our farmland is foreign ownership of the corporations controlling our meat processing sector with ramifications from farm to fork.
At present, 4 large multi-national corporations’ control over 80% of finished beef product with 2 of those (JBS and Marfrig/National) being Brazilian firms and Tyson who has significant investment by the Chinese Communist Government. A recent article and video released by Epoch Times,2 addresses these connections as well as consequences to both consumer and local cattle farmers. Brooke Miller, past President of the United States Cattlemen’s Association, stated in an Epoch Times interview, “They have such a monopoly, there is really no free market in the live fat cattle marketplace”. The interview additionally implied future destruction of free market price mechanisms further down the chain of production. This price mechanism destruction would impair the feeder calf open market that sectors of our Tennessee livestock system depend on. In addition, this economic impact would severely affect numerous ancillary businesses that support our livestock industry, such as feed suppliers, animal health products, capital equipment, and crop input suppliers.
On June 24, 2025, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri addressed these concerns in a Congressional hearing on Anti-Trust Oversight.3 In testimonial conversation with Mark Meador of the Federal Trade Commission, it was concluded that these consolidated positions needed further review for monopolistic anti-competitive practices by both the
FTC and Packers and Stockyards division of the DOJ. Senator Hawley was immediately attacked by a Wall Street Journal4 article by Mark Mix titled, “Josh Hawley Doesn’t’ Know What a Monopoly Is”, specifically alleging these corporations were not a monopoly due to the absence of “collusion” in manipulating prices to both consumers and producers. However, numerous lawsuits have been levied against these corporations specifying collusion to manipulate both price and supply at both ends of the chain. These lawsuits have been settled out of court and public view with substantial penalties paid to affected parties.5
TN Congressional Candidate Henry looked at the modest herd his own family raises and said, “Our cattle are the last remaining element of our Appalachian farming heritage and Independence. We will not give them up without a Fight!”. An article from the Wall Street Journal defending monopolistic activities should be expected from a media machine that engineered Wall Street’s bailout in 2008 while main street was foreclosed and made homeless.
Stay tuned Tennessee, more to come.
1.) https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/farm-security-nat-sec.pdf
2.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbtColZgyyc
4.) https://www.wsj.com/opinion/senator-josh-hawley-doesnt-know-what-a-monopoly-is-41e380b6