New Mexico’s Attorney General is launching a probe into the business practices of some of the nation’s largest beef processors. He says the state’s farmers and ranchers are being harmed by out of state corporations. Organization for Competitive Markets Executive Director Joe Maxwell says the probe has implications for Northern Plains producers. He’s hoping other state AG’s will follow suit.

He says states can move quicker than the feds on unfair or anti-competitive practices. Maxwell says if proven it could give the nation’s Attorney General a reason to more strictly enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act.

Maxwell says lack of competition is not only harmful to producers but to smaller processors.

Maxwell is also hoping the federal government will quit delaying the update of the GIPSA rules and get those approved so market competition will be improved.