Where Does McDonald's Lawsuit Leave U.S. Cattlemen?

Bill Bullard of R-CALF USA comes on to discuss the stories impacting the culture of agriculture.
McDonald's legal battle against major meat packers for alleged price-fixing brings attention to the dynamics between producers, packers, and consumers, questioning the position of American cattlemen in this corporate clash.
Full Episode ➔ • ATR: Wildfires, Market...
Connect with Bill:
Instagram ➔ / rcalfusa
Facebook ➔ / @rcalfusa
KZbin ➔ ‪@RCALFUSA‬
Want to do a Legacy Interview for you or a loved one?
Book a Legacy Interview | legacyintervie... -
A Legacy Interview is a two-hour recorded interview with you and a host that can be watched now and viewed in the future. It is a recording of what you experienced, the lessons you learned and the family values you want passed down. We will interview you or a loved one, capturing the sound of their voice, wisdom and a sense of who they are. These recorded conversations will be private, reserved only for the people that you want to share it with.
#Vancecrowepodcast #legacyinterviews

[@Mark_Nadams]

it was good to hear Bill articulate how long the meat packers have been squeezing the cattlemen out of a competitive market and who is fighting them. We need to break the meat packers' monopoly up in order to restore a competitive cattle industry.

[@ehsnils]

Don't rule out the vegans - they have changed their tactics and are now using political influence to make "Meat Bad".

[@gunsofsteele]

$20 - $30 per pound for a NY Strip or RibEye is disgusting! I'm so glad it's deer season.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

I stock up when it's on sale for $5.99/lb

[@ronw59]

If Cargill is involved, I would believe what the cattlemen & McDonalds are saying!

[@mtower235]

This is why so many producers have started direct sales to consumers.

[@Ferd414]

Where they can get away with it without having the government come in and say "No, no, no, you can't be doing THAT! You're bypassing the packing plants that line our pockets so nicely! Why else do you think we have laws requiring 14 inspections??? You wanna put inspector #13 out of a job?!?!?"

[@safeandeffectivelol]

The USDA will put a stop to that

[@mtower235]

@@safeandeffectivelolthey’ve tried more than a few. Most are doing exactly what their rules say so that doesn’t help their case. The rest have won or stalled in court.

[@patmcbride9853]

@@safeandeffectivelol Trump can appoint someone to the USDA that can stop them from stopping it. And he can make it so the states can do the inspections with USDA oversight.

[@richardrose9943]

The usda is owned by the meet packers don’t fool yourself

[@BillZBubb]

Something needs to straighten this out. No more relying on the ‘supply chain’ excuse. Demand is suppressed because the prices are stupid.

[@dafudd7779]

Support independent meat packers, giants in any industry always take advantage of their position to rake in huge profits at the expense of everyone else, including their own employees.

[@nativestacker4185]

Chicken and Pork have gone up in most cases by about 26% in the last 2 years , but Beef has more than doubled in price . 2 years ago I was paying about $7-8 for a two-pack of Chuck Eye Steaks , now I see them for $16-17 for the same two=pack .

[@sandyhubbard6618]

And for the farmers, the cost of raising that beef has gone way up also. Just look at pet food prices how they have gone way up. A 30lb bag of cat food in 2020 was about $15. Now in 2024 that same bag is $25. The cost of fertilizers and seeds have gone up. The cost to buy any hay or grain that the farmer has to buy has gone up so this raises the cost needed to produce that beef. Raising prices on one item creates a chain reaction to all prices needed to reach the end goal.

[@nativestacker4185]

@@sandyhubbard6618 I understand economics , did a 4 year on it . The issue is that it has gone up more than other meats , more than doubled where I live , and there are lots of cows where I live . Maybe I should go back to buying a Half of a cow and save money that way .

[@jimmahr.4665]

Nooooo, mega corporations price fixing?! Never! Also government shutting down small business by making it impossible. Oh, and if you're a contractor/sub contractor and have only one customer, they own you.

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Yea I had to learn that lesson the hard way. Better to have several customers than 1 big one- cause if you only have one, you have no leverage.

[@ronw59]

@@VanceCrowePodcast Ask the auto industry parts suppliers!

[@waynemanning3262]

The fact that most small local abattoirs and butchers have vanished and now most meat comes from a few huge producers has eliminated competition. It was common not too many years ago that every grocery store had meat departments with real butchers and you could see the hanging carcasses in the cooler, you knew where your meat came from and there wasn’t a styrofoam tray in sight!

[@michaelbabella1103]

....and an $18 big mac meal isnt considered as 'price gouging'?

[@JosephDiveley]

It's only 8.99 here in indiana but our minimum wage is the same as the federal. My McDoubles have gone from 1 dollar to almost 3 dollars in the past 3 to 4 years. Thanks Biden.

[@knife_knut]

Wouldn’t McDonald’s actually have to USE meat before they have the right to sue? 🤔🤣

[@tyb3938]

Beef prices are out of control and my freezer is out of elk, hopefully we get one down in the next couple days

[@2old4allthis]

Love me some venison of any kind (except west Texas whitetail), but how do you get enough fat?

[@jackyhallmark3094]

I dont like McDonalds but good for them for contesting the producers.

[@wirefly1000]

More power to ya against Tyson

[@Chris-vp2lm]

I think there should be a class action lawsuit. There are so many people who have been squeezed out of business by price fixing. Where was the USDA?

[@NemoBlank]

Working for tips, just like the rest of the government.

[@DwightStJohn-t7y]

the average age is 58!! AND those cattlemen often run a ranch several generations deep, like the ranch in my area near town: It's clear title and never HAD a mortgage from homesteading. So ANY cash flow goes back into the business/ranch. New arrivals better win the lottery first, then ranch.

[@dont.ripfuller6587]

That's sorta my plan. Not the lottery, but through risk investments. If I can make enough headway I'm getting Land with water and cattle.

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

It is definitely hard to break in. But it seems to me that cattle ranching is the one place a guy can get a small amount of land and start raising cattle and grow.

[@chrisbrowne4669]

Said in the Old West about the Homestead Law, " the government bets you 160 acres you can't survive"

[@superman9772]

i kinda believe that one of the ways that meatpackers control the price/supply is by periodically having a recall...and then the cost will be passed on to the consumer... i know that sounds kinda machiavellian but... it kinda makes sense as a real easy way to short the supply and cause a price jump ... i mean the more regulations and requirements, then the higher the cost/price while also keeping out your competition at the same time

[@DwightStJohn-t7y]

interesting. I wouldn't put it past ONE executive playing that game (and not taking any credit). We had Maple Leaf foods have that happen in sliced sandwich meats, and the stock wasn't even affected, but yes, take out the competition and/or make them spend high expenses on food safety, while you can absorb the hit as you're so much larger a Corp.

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

IDK a recall can crush a company's reputation and I believe MANY of their contracts get voided if they have something happen like that. It would be a hell of a risky strategy.

[@Emundas455]

This is a good thing. An industry giant like McDonalds can really help move this issue forward

[@refrigeratormagnet1680]

How bout a lawsuit on eggs? It's clear that there is something seriously wrong with eggs.

[@gunsofsteele]

You can blame the chicken union for egg prices. 😂

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

20 million egg laying hens were killed by the hurricane and influenza. There is a serious supply shortage.

[@dawsie]

@@VanceCrowePodcastit’s a case of “but I don’t live in the disaster area” with no understanding of that what happens at one part of the country will have a knock on affect right down the food chain. The worst part is, it’s not just in the states that this beef issue is a problem, it reaches right around the world. I have bought beef only 4 times in the past 2 years, I just cannot afford beef. The farmers have doubled their production to keep up with demand, but what is being processed is only half of what they brought in. Somewhere in the middle is a stockpile of cattle that have not made it through the processing plants. It’s because of the cattle being held back that’s driven up the cost of beef for the middleman, the cattle ranches are being paid half of what the customer at the other end is being charged.get rid of the middle man and you get rid of inflation

[@mattwright8353]

We see what our old mans have been going through with not being paid fair prices for the producer and not to the salesmen_ we went wrong when we lost USA meatpackers that lived where they shit and not on the other side of the world

[@smokeskull]

The beef we been buying in Western Canada for the most part is always very tough. A quality steak used to be very tender but now most are like shoe leather.

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Could be coming from Mexico. Its too bad too Western Canada is great at raising beef.

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

Corporate entities like the ones mentioned are very adept at privatizing their profits and publicizing their labour disputes and legal woes. Either way the consumer will pay.

[@ShaighJosephson]

I'm shocked that there's actually some real beef mixed in with all that soy... 😮

[@olinbrown8260]

A co op processing plants would help

[@ghostdragon6695]

McDonald's is greedy

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

I think they are probably profit driven like everyone else.

[@timd5343]

control the supply control the price been done that way for a long time not right but true

[@draighodge6039]

I never thought I would see a day when when I cheered for McDonald's Corp. These are truly strange times.

[@liberatedwoman]

These companies have been sued MULTIPLE times for price fixing!

[@daviddiehl-gy2sq]

They have every right to charge what they want. Demand sets price. Not supply.

[@JosephDiveley]

The easiest way to increase supply to lower demand is to allow more meat packing plants to be made. Right now it's almost impossible to open one.

[@mattvance485]

Wait until this scenario reaches the candy workers.

[@oldjarhead386]

Stopped eating beef about two years ago. Not a decision, it just works out that way when we see the lack of value.

[@NathanZSolomon]

It's not just the cattlemen who are getting ripped off. The chicken growers are also getting ripped off. Tyson, for example, have eggs laid by their chickens, they sort out the roosters, and then they wait until the chicks hatch. Then they hand the chicks over to these chicken grower. They feed the feed they are told to feed them, they make sure the humidity/environment are maintained and they do a bunch of other stuff. When the grown chickens are gathered, the chicken growers get hardly anything. But gets who gets most of the profit?

[@georgeburns7251]

Price fixing, imagine farmers and meat packers doing something that would screw customers? Unthinkable.

[@Off-target-xy6bx]

Farmers have no say in prices of their beef. I can absolutely assure you of that. If you want to know what is happening look at cattle prices and go to the store and look at beef prices. A big part of the issue is those packing plants are almost completely owned by foreign companies. Best to buy a beef and take it to the butcher shop yourself. You will find it is not like cooking the stuff you buy at the store. Hope that helps.

[@JOELTILSON]

Corporations are way out of control.

[@David-fu4vi]

Welcome to the club Mickey D, I can't afford to eat beef either! Welcome to THIRD WORLD AMERICA. Does anyone remember 'Soylent Green'?

[@raycosman824]

North Platte, Nebraska is about to open a large new plant ran by ranchers, curious to see how that goes.

[@Jesse-v7d]

How can McDonald's sue the rancher when they don't even use beef, they feed garbage to their costumers. Over

[@lgun1]

McD needs to get Walmart to join them in this lawsuit.

[@liberatedwoman]

Tyson supplies chicken to the United States public schools. Imagine charging whatever they want?

[@mattholan2876]

McDonald's don't put enough real meat in there food to sue anyone to where's the beef paper thin garbage

[@NemoBlank]

Listen to what the man is saying. Meat prices have doubled and will double again if these monopolists can keep control of the market. McDonald's is at their mercy just like the rest of us.

[@Timberland1963]

It’s about time someone went after the packers. McDonald’s has very deep pockets and can hopefully get some results.

[@michaelheurkens4538]

Well, that collusion between big food corporations, especially packers and grocery giants, would go a long wat to explain the difference between "live weight" prices for the producers and the rediculous and unjustifiable "shelf price" consumers are railroaded with.

[@divamortisakajannah.4236]

If you go back a couple years into the pandemic, you will see where the cattle ranchers/barons in Texas, that use taxpayer-funded lands in order to open graze, in order to reduce further their financial input, were apparently devastated because the drought was so bad that many ranchers were having to send to the processors huge amounts of their herds in order for the animals not to starve to death or die of thirst in an inhuman way. I guess most of the cattle ranchers and barons don't have water set up for their animals?🤷🏼 I personally got very excited about this. This meant there would be an oversupply of beef hitting the market. Which meant I might actually be able to afford a few beef products! I'm still sitting here waiting for that overabundance, that oversupply, to reduce the price. Instead I have watched beef products continue to tick up in price. Completely contrary to the supply that they darn well knew we knew about because they were on the news upset about it. Whoever said that supply and demand dictate price, were beyond idealistic. [There're actually several news reports on the plight of cattle ranchers/barons, particularly in Texas, in addition there are several podcasters who did stuff on it as well if I remember correctly. And I believe it was 2022 this happened. Although I freely admit I can't remember which year was during the pandemic. All that nonsense just blurred together for me.]

[@svtinker]

McDonalds serves real beef?!😳😳😳

[@nancienordwick4169]

There's no good reason smaller packing plants shouldn't exist. We need to strengthen the middle class, and this means regulations favorable to small businesses and more stringent regulations of dominating corporations that will bring back freemarket capitalism rather than monopolistic capitalism. We can no longer ignore the wealthy concentrating of capital that creates oligarchy control of our government.

[@quarantainment293]

Wishful thinking is that this will lead to lower prices for consumers - realty will probably be the opposite.

[@clivebradley2633]

Long overdue. I look forward to seeing record fines or forced break-up of over-large players

[@iztherelife1340]

I didn’t know beef had anything to do with Mac Donald’s 🤷‍♀️🤪

[@JS-mh9uu]

Mcdonalds needs to build their own slaughter houses and meat packing to put those people out of business. They have the money for it.

[@michaelvaughn7137]

Where does it leave the cattle men well if they are smart starting their own meat paking companies !!!!

[@JOELTILSON]

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

[@metafeedburner]

Phony lawsuit, that's not meat in those burgers, look at the decades old burgers no mold no nothing.

[@Emundas455]

Its called dehydration. Its been used for millenia to preserve food

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Not true- McDonald’s has so much buying power they actually get the best ground beef in the country. They are the first buyer and they buy so much it is mind blowing

[@workingcountry1776]

Best? LOL no. I buy local beef that's butchered locally and it's infinity better​@@VanceCrowePodcast

[@asymmetry9988]

LOL. Dumb comment

[@Ferd414]

@@workingcountry1776 We put a "homegrown" beef in the freezer 2 years ago - Aside from what we consider the "ultra-prime" steak cuts (sirloins, T-bones, filets, and top-rounds, basically) turned the whole thing into burger. Ran out of burger from that one a couple weeks ago, and had to do a store-run for "bought beef". Even the top-of-the-line "steakburger" at the store was pale, almost "sloppy" with so much water it was crazy, and practically tasteless. That crap wasn't fit to eat, so far as we were concerned, and the price was jaw-droppingly high for such garbage. Guess it's time for another homegrown beef... Dealing with the giant puddle of red stuff (I can't BELIEVE the proper word is censored by youtube!!! You clowns REALLY need to get outside and touch some grass!) was an annoyance, but well worth the half hour of using the tractor to dig up and turn over the ground where the initial shot and draining took place.

[@patrickprafke4894]

We are never going to learn that supply vs demand isn't capitalism. Are we? That's just price fixing.

[@LloydHill-k2p]

Interesting, Tyson Foods processing plant in Coominya Qld Australia was owned by a Korean Company and has just changed hands to Kilcoy Global Foods , I wonder if this the reason?

[@daleolson3506]

And the meat is full of water and other things. The quality is horrible

[@JoshB-nt6rr]

Yeah mcdonalds is cutting cost like crazy. Record prices record profits

[@blessedfire365xgf]

I know Arby's when I worked there sold south American meet

[@45searay]

Potato’s will be next….

[@HughGard-rc7cc]

No harm no foul..Since McDonald's doesn't use beef..

[@scottbullard6097]

Does McDonald's still use real meat?

[@jeffbennett6218]

Won’t eat there ever

[@Joemammatype3]

You gotta be able to afford the farm in order to grow the cattle…..

[@scrapyardprospecting3855]

Wow screw crapdonalds!!!!! We need to sue the for inflation of the price of not meat they use on their crapburger!!!! 8 bucks for fried not meat!!!!!! And it tastes like crap!!! I support American beef but condemn crapdonalds. I call for a world wide boycott🎉t of McDonald’s!!!!!! GTFO

[@coryjuber4903]

Cut taxes. No more inherentence tax will increase desire among young ranchers!

[@workingcountry1776]

McDonald's doesn't sell real meat or safe food anyway

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

I have been to the feed yards that raise their cattle- they definitely buy real beef.

[@DEVanderbiltCecil]

How is that not racketeering?

[@herbertfawcett7213]

I thought McD had its own cattle?

[@coryjuber4903]

By direct and learn how to butcher. We need to get back to basics and have local butchers and develop our own logistics. Screw the big packers!

[@SweatinSixty]

Like McDonalds actually uses real meat

[@MrHoustonmichael]

LOTS WITH ME ARE ALREADY BOYCOTTING ANY INFLATION HIGH PRICING IN FAST FOOD ETC GET BACK TO DOLLAR MENU FOR VALUE

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

Shouldn’t McD’s be suing chemicals company’s? After all, their “food” is mostly chemicals.

[@fk4515]

But McDonalds didn’t want to go through the hassle or extra cost of buying from smaller packets. Seriously this has been going on for the better part of a century, but 100 years ago it was the farmer getting screwed so no one cared

[@patmcbride9853]

Trump need to change the regulations so the various states can inspect meat with federal oversight. That way, small producers can afford to market their meat locally without having to haul it long distances to a large processor because that's where the few USDA inspectors are located.

[@Triumph60Gem]

Sounds like Surge Pricing, just like McD uses.

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Cattle market pricing is difficult to understand- but I didn't think McD has surge pricing.

[@snowleezard]

Trouble attracting people to the industry.... there are only 3 ways in: inherit land, marry into land, or win a large lottery payout. otherwise agreed, I hope this lawsuit succeeds.

[@LRMc-jn3pb]

Farm families still raise and slaughter their own meat in fact some areas have butchers that go to farms and do the butchering and cutting and wraping for a quarter , in Missouri in the 70s it was a thing my uncle had the guy come by once a year ......just saying......

[@edbern7387]

Why can I buy Australian beef and lamb cheaper than USA beef and lamb?

[@davidsandberg7631]

cattlemen do get money from government in form of drought pay outs

[@saltygrandpajoe6375]

🤔🙏🏻🇺🇸👊🏻

[@ryhol5417]

Honestly let McDonald’s lose. It’s time for someone else

[@NonTypicalRacing]

Their "food" tastes like the nutritional value it has....👎

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Its interesting because this time they are aligning with some of the cattlemen. If they lose will the farmers lose too?

[@jamesdewiel4736]

They don’t use real beaf😂

[@saluki7651]

How about a lawsuit against the federal government for creating inflation??

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Is there a lawsuit for that?

[@saluki7651]

@@VanceCrowePodcast democrats can make up any lawsuit that they want, why can’t the cattlemen??

[@saltymofo5870]

Meat packers unions need to go. For that matter, all unions need to go

[@roberthepburn-gr4fq]

Trump commie It's unions that built the middle class

[@Ferd414]

Amen. You don't like the pay/working conditions/whatever where you are? Find another place to work. It's truly that simple.

[@redeyedmongoose2963]

Go McDonald’s go

[@stevenchadderdon9061]

😂😂 yall act like McDonald's sell beef

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

They do- they actually buy huge amounts of prime beef

[@jimstoner6884]

Ain't capitalism grand?

[@hotttt28]

Duh !

[@rorymcphee4871]

BDS MCD. Get a real burger somèplace else.

[@kjflyte5088]

McDonald's sucks.

[@joeeastes9351]

It's McDonald's..who cares

[@billwhite1603]

McDonalds and Wendy's didn't have to raise their prices as much as they needed to. Who is price fixing?

[@JosephDiveley]

The demand is down because it costs too much to buy the meat. For the prices being charged it can rot on the shelves before I buy it. It was only 2-3 years ago that hamburger was 2 to 3 dollars a pound. Now it's 5 to 6 dollars a pound. Many like myself refuse to pay steak prices for hamburger meat. No one is buying so demond is lowered. Thanks Biden.

[@NonTypicalRacing]

This sounds like kamaluh b.s.

[@T.Maximus]

?

[@NonTypicalRacing]

@@T.Maximus regulating prices. 1st step to Marxism.

[@VanceCrowePodcast]

Yea I don't really understand the market well enough to understand why more rules would make a freer market- seems like it never does.

[@russellbruney1997]

Usually the govt. Mucks it up real good 😂

[@Aaron4317]

People still eat that garbage?

[@johncolumb6014]

If that the case then go buy your meat outside USA , try the beef from New Zealand and Australia , that will bring those companies back into line then you buy at your price not there’s , I do feel sorry for the farmers but businesses is business

[@aixelsyddan257]

I don't hear anything about Purdue and his nonsense as it relates to the cattle industry and market prices.