Ranchers across North Dakota are watching the cattle market swing wildly as prices react to political and trade uncertainty. Independent Beef Association of North Dakota Vice President August Heupel says market movement has been unpredictable in recent weeks. “It’s been a wild few weeks of excitement, good and bad,” said Heupel. “Any sort of comments, good or bad, that come out of Washington seem to really have it jumping up and down and all over the place.” Heupel agrees with President Trump’s executive order calling for the DOJ to investigate major meatpacking companies. “There’s too much consolidation when they control 85 percent of the kill market. That’s too big and that’s not okay,” he said. “There’s a misconception out there that the rancher’s getting rich at these high beef prices. Well, that’s not the case.”
