Price discovery - Articles

McDonald’s has beef with the ‘big four’

October 11, 2024

McDonald’s has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. meat industry’s major beef processors and their subsidiaries for alleged price fixing.

Why multi-plant coordination matters

New research suggests individual packing companies coordinating activities among all company-owned plants boosts packers’ leverage in price discovery.

April 3, 2023

Lee Schulz and Christopher Pudenz

Policymakers need to understand the role multi-plant coordination plays in the fed cattle market as they consider policies aimed at increasing negotiated trade with the hope of improving price discovery.

Cattle price transparency battle hits Capitol Hill

May 13, 2022

David Cooper

The debate over greater price transparency headed to Washington in late April, as both the Senate and House Agriculture committees held hearings on proposed legislation mandating more cash price trade in beef markets.

In the news: JBS pays $52.5 million to settle price fixing allegations

February 24, 2022

Carrie Veselka

Meat-packing giant JBS announced Feb. 1 that it has agreed to pay $52.5 million as a settlement against claims of beef price fixing.

Price discovery policy marches on at NCBA

February 24, 2022

David Cooper

Producers and state cattle organizations continued work within a key committee of the National Cattleman’s Beef Association to address major points on market transparency and price discovery.

New USDA, DOJ online portal to allow farmers, ranchers to report anti-competitive practices

February 14, 2022

Farmers and ranchers now can anonymously report potentially unfair and anti-competitive practices in the livestock and poultry sectors using an online tool the USDA and Department of Justice (DOJ) launched Feb. 3.

In the news: Biden announces plan to improve beef market competition

January 25, 2022

Carrie Veselka

President Biden met with farmers, ranchers and independent processors from across the country Jan. 3 to outline the Biden-Harris administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain.

New price transparency act stirs up debate in cattle industry

November 24, 2021

Carrie Veselka

Several events over the last few years, including the Tyson fire in 2019 and the supply chain issues following the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, have drawn public and political attention to the issue of price discovery in cattle markets.

In the news: New USDA reports to enhance cattle market transparency

August 25, 2021

Carrie Veselka

The USDA announced in early August that two new reports, published in USDA Market News and based on Livestock Mandatory Reporting data, will provide additional insight into formula cattle trades and help promote fair and competitive markets.