Texas A & M University at the request of the House Agriculture Committee completed a comprehensive report of the U.S. cattle and beef markets. That was just ahead of the House Ag Committee’s hearing Thursday on Livestock prices. The study says government mandates will cost livestock producers trillions of dollars. U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Brooke Miller says the report doesn’t make sense and is basically what was paid for.

The A & M report aligns with earlier testimony to the Committee that supply and demand have the most influence of the price on cattle. Miller says what’s needed to correct the cattle pricing problem is more competition in the packing industry.

Miller says the ultimate answer to the cattle pricing problem is to break up the y held by the four major meatpackers.

Miller says what’s really needed is more true competition in the cattle market.