The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered the country’s four largest meat-packing companies to provide information as part of an ongoing probe of possible antitrust violations, according to a report from Bloomberg.

All the experience and knowledge gained by producers through a lifetime in the beef industry is now being put to the test. Stunningly, it may not be enough to fully grasp the economic impact felt by producers in the supply chain.

President Donald Trump announced on May 6 he is urging the Department of Justice to probe further into packing companies and concerns about prices paid for beef and pork during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

More tremors are hitting the beef industry as a key packing facility in Colorado will be closing for almost two weeks to address rising COVID-19 health risks to plant employees.

Nationwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic continued to shake segments of the entire beef industry near the conclusion of a historic March 2020. Consumers continued to purchase food commodities off grocery shelves, while ag economists, like their counterparts on national economics, all began preparing for the reality of a recession.

In an era of 24-hour news cycles, constant digital streaming and sensory overload, we don’t use our minds very well. The brain is the most complex and underappreciated organ in the body. Perhaps we should exercise ours with a balanced set of tools – including among them a healthy dose of skepticism.