Meat prices on the rise? Time to pass the PRIME Act

The Washington Post reports, “As consumers chafe at growing food price inflation, the Biden administration is pointing a finger at some of the country’s largest meat companies, suggesting pandemic profiteering may be responsible for the steep rise in the prices of beef, pork and poultry.

Recently, the prices for beef, pork and poultry have all increased far more than other kinds of food, accounting for as much as half of price inflation at grocery stores.”

Big government regulates little guys out of existence and then blames subsequent consolidation for higher prices.

Pass the PRIME Act ! to empower consumers, to revitalize the small processing industry, and to let small farms flourish! https://t.co/xLp1hTLn6f — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 5, 2021

Spectrum News: "Meat and dairy farmer Kenya Abraham of Slak Market Farm says the pandemic and social distancing measures that led to economic distress have made the challenges of small farmers more pronounced.

'If I have a cow and I want to process my bull, it’s illegal for me to go to a custom slaughterhouse and this is a facility where these animals are butchered professionally, package that meat, now I’ve got 400 pounds of hamburger and some steaks. I cannot sell to you if you came to my farm store for a package of hamburger,' said Abraham over Skype from her farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie's Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act also known as the PRIME Act speaks to this concern by expanding the exemption of custom slaughtering of animals from federal inspection requirements.

'It would allow these farmers that are having to euthanize their animals to use a non-USDA facility to get the food and farm product to consumers in their own states,' said Massie."