WASHINGTON \u2014\u00a0Under current law, American farmers can\u2019t sell individual cuts of beef to customers unless the meat has been processed at USDA-inspected slaughterhouses.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump said in a social media post<\/a> Friday: \u201cfor years I have heard that they have had a tremendous problem with the Big Processors \u2026 I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this week, conservative radio host Glenn Beck, who runs a ranch, raised concerns about the regulations in a phone interview<\/a> with the president.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s people that want to build processing plants everywhere,\u201d Beck said. \u201cThe regulations are killing us, just killing us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re saying with less regulation, you think that the ranchers and farmers would do a very good job of processing the beef?\u201d Trump asked.<\/p>\n When Beck replied that they would, Trump told him he would look at the issue.<\/p>\n Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Crescent Springs, who raises cattle on his Lewis County farm, has been pushing a measure called the PRIME Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under his bill, states could allow farmers to sell cuts of beef that haven\u2019t been processed at federally-inspected facilities.<\/p>\n Instead, local inspectors could examine the meat products.<\/p>\n The legislation hasn\u2019t moved forward as a standalone bill, but a pilot program for it is in a version of the Farm Bill passed by the House.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In response to the president\u2019s announcement Friday, Massie wrote<\/a> on social media: \u201cThis is great, but it should be a law, not just an executive order \u2026 Pass the PRIME Act so consumers can get affordable U.S. beef and farmers can flourish!\u201d<\/p>\n The National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association said in a social media statement<\/a> that it supports more competiton and opportunities for small processors but \u201cweakening federal meat inspection & food safety standards isn\u2019t the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump recently prompted bipartisan backlash after announcing a plan to import 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to reduce prices.<\/p>\n