Schumer Unveils "Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act" to Break Up Meatpacking Monopoly

ONEONTA, N.Y. — Calling this year’s holiday “the most expensive Memorial Day ever,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday introduced new legislation aimed at dismantling what he described as a decades‑long monopoly in America’s meatpacking industry.

Speaking at Brooks BBQ in Oneonta, Schumer announced the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act, a bill designed to increase competition in the meat market, lower grocery prices, and give farmers and small businesses more leverage against the nation’s largest processors.

Schumer: Four Companies Control Most of America’s Meat Supply

Schumer said the legislation is a direct response to consolidation among the country’s biggest meatpacking corporations.

“Just four companies own 67% of the pork, 60% of the chicken, and 85% of the beef,” Schumer said, naming Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef. “And that has led to higher costs for everyone.”

The senator argued that the concentration of power allows major processors to raise prices across multiple meat categories simultaneously, even when market conditions don’t justify it.

Brooks BBQ: Rising Prices Are Squeezing Small Businesses

Ryan Brooks, owner of the iconic Brooks BBQ, said the price spikes have become a daily challenge for his family‑run operation. The restaurant and catering business moves roughly 900,000 pounds of chicken, 200,000 pounds of beef, and 300,000 pounds of pork each year.

“One small hike is really a huge hike for us that we have to absorb and get super creative,” Brooks said. “It’s just something we have to really focus on every day where we can’t focus on running our business. We have to focus on how to get creative.”

Brooks said the volatility in meat prices has forced the company to constantly adjust operations, menus, and purchasing strategies.

What the Bill Would Do

If enacted, the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act would:

Prohibit major meatpacking conglomerates from controlling more than one type of meat.

“If you want to do beef, you can’t do chicken, you can’t do pork,” Schumer said.

Direct the Federal Trade Commission to design and enforce new antitrust rules specific to the meatpacking industry.

Schumer argued that separating the markets would prevent companies from raising prices across all proteins at once. “Let’s say the price of beef goes up and people might want to buy chicken,” he said. “But if the monopoly controls the chicken, it all goes up at once. Whether the market required it or not.”

Bipartisan Support Growing

Schumer said the bill is already attracting bipartisan interest in the Senate, noting that concerns about food prices and corporate consolidation cross party lines.

He expressed hope that the legislation will move to the Senate floor soon, saying families, farmers, and small businesses “can’t afford to wait.”