Lawmakers continue to turn up the heat to get action on possible cattle market manipulation and ant-trust violations, with cattle producers losing money while packers make record profits. Farm state lawmakers including South Dakota Senator John Thune are calling for hearings and yesterday Thune spoke on the Senate Floor asking for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. He’s written the Department of Justice pressing for an additional probe and details of the current investigation of the cattle market that’s more than a year old.

Thune recently encouraged Attorney General Merrick Garland to make this investigation a priority to protect consumers and cattle producers.

NCBA Vice President and DeSmet, South Dakota cattle producer Todd Wilkinson is pleased with the action from Thune and other lawmakers and says he’s anxious to find out what’s really going on in the market.

Wilkinson says if there is evidence of wrongdoing lawmakers need to enforce the laws that are on the books.

He doesn’t see a reason for packers to be making record profits while producers are going out of business.